The Los Angeles Dodgers are providing Clayton Kershaw with an extra day of rest before he next takes the mound. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is now listed as the probable for Wednesday’s game against the Miami Marlins, with Dustin May starting in the series opener.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts initially said his club would keep their rotation in order even with Monday’s off day. The swap appears to be the only change — at least for now — as Walker Buehler remains scheduled to pitch in Thursday’s finale at Marlins Park.
Kershaw is coming off a season-high-tying 101 pitches over seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals last week. He allowed just one run and collected nine strikeouts in the Aug. 6 outing. It was a third time this season Kershaw tossed 101 pitches.
“Very pleased. Early, it just seemed like from that third inning he got into a rhythm and his tempo picked up,” Roberts said of the outing. “He was really good. Slider was really good, had the depth, actually seemed like he changed speeds on it.
“Just a little different velocity with the slider. Efficient, he just really corralled those first couple innings where it didn’t seem he was in sync.”
Although the consistent dominant performances aren’t quite at the level of years past, Kershaw has remained effective and continued to adapt. He’s completed at least six innings in each of his 20 starts and allowed more than three earned runs just three times.
“As a starting pitcher you goal is trying to be consistent, try to go out there every fifth day and as cliché as it is, try to give your team a chance,” Kershaw said last week. “Six (innings) is obviously the bare minimum. You get to that seven, eight-inning mark, you’re doing a good job.
“I haven’t done eight, but seven is good enough right now. Especially the way Petey and Kenley are throwing the ball. It’s great to be able to go out there every fifth day, for sure.”
Of his outings this season, Kershaw has started on regular rest seven times, received an extra day prior to nine starts, and twice pitched on six days’ rest. His first outing of the season of course came on a prolonged layoff, and Kershaw went nine days between starts coming out of the All-Star break.
By swapping with May, he will next pitch on seven days’ rest. Kershaw is 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA in four starts this season on six or more days of rest.
Overall, he’s 11-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
