Spring Training is underway for all members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, except for Clayton Kershaw, who has not fully reported to camp as he rehabs and recovers from his offseason shoulder surgery.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer underwent a glenohumeral ligament and capsule repair in his left shoulder that puts him on track for a delayed start to the regular season. Kershaw was still signed to a one-year contract with a player option for 2025 despite the injury.
Because of his ongoing rehab process, Kershaw was given a late report date to Dodgers Spring Training, which is expected to happen this month, per Andy McCullough of The Athletic:
So Kershaw won’t report to spring training until March.
Kershaw mentioned that he won’t be an option for the Dodgers in the regular season until late July or August, but that still may be hopeful thinking due to the nature of shoulder surgeries. Both he and the team have declined to provide specifics thus far, putting a general timeline for his return.
Entering his 17th season in MLB, Kershaw has spent his entire career with the Dodgers. In 2023, he went 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 24 starts.
Although it wasn’t until March that Kershaw was expected to be a consistent presence at Camelback Ranch, he did spend some time at the Dodgers’ Spring Training facility last month when his contract was made official.
Will there be pressure on Clayton Kershaw?
Because of the Dodgers’ front-end additions to their starting rotation, Kershaw won’t have to rush his own timeline.
The Dodgers buffed a severe weakness from last year, adding Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton while brining Kershaw back with a late target date. If the veteran left-hander is unable to return this year, he still has the benefit of a his included player option for next season.
In addition to the acquisitions, Bobby Miller can be expected to take a step forward, with Walker Buehler returning to game action following Tommy John surgery.
Kershaw being a backend option at this stage of his career is the best case scenario, with a mountain of pressure taken off of his expected performance.
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