After being shut down because of lingering elbow soreness, Clayton Kershaw resumed a throwing program over the past week in his quest to join the Los Angeles Dodgers for the final few weeks of the regular season.
Kershaw steadily increased the distance at which he played catch and intensity of the throws as the days progressed, and the next step would be a bullpen session. “I hope there is,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts answered when asked if Kershaw would soon throw off a mound.
“I’m sure there is. Mark Prior and the medical staff is kind of behind that, so I don’t have a date yet. Out to 120 (feet), letting it rip, so I would assume early next week we’ll get him off the mound.
“That’s kind of the hope, but we’ll see. Clayton wants to get out there as soon as he can, so I’ll just kind of side with him.”
Kershaw progressing through his recovery without issue is certainly an encouraging sign, but the bigger checkpoint could be if and when the left-hander manages to face batters. It was after a simulated game on July 27 that caused the residual soreness and delayed Kershaw’s return.
“Basically, I just tried to come back too fast, which is a bummer,” he admitted earlier this month. “After the sim game it really didn’t respond well.
“It’s frustrating, it’s still nothing serious, but it’s just something that’s going to take a little bit of time. It’s no fun. Being hurt is miserable. I really don’t enjoy it at all.
“Especially with what’s going on here, the guys we have coming in, this stretch run, I want to be a part of it so bad. I’m going to do everything I can to be back, and I think I will be.”
When can Kershaw return?
Because the Dodgers transferred Kershaw to the 60-day injured list, he is not eligible to be activated until Sunday, Sept. 5. That figured to be around the time the Dodgers hoped to reinstate Kershaw anyway.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and more!
