A heaviness has fallen atop Los Angeles as their beloved team has succumbed to their recent pitching misfortunes. With their lead in the National League West getting shorter by the day, the Dodgers are in desperate need of some consistency in their starting rotation.
Hope is on the horizon as the Los Angeles Dodgers long-time Ace is on the brink of return. Clayton Kershaw has begun pitching activities as he threw a bullpen session Friday ahead of their game against the Colorado Rockies. Will Kershaw be the piece the Dodgers need moving forward?
Kershaw’s Bullpen Sessions
After developing a bone spur in his left big toe, Kershaw was sent to the 15-day injured list in late August. While working towards a return, his injury has rendered him unable to throw at his full capacity. However, he has made many efforts to stay in shape in hopes that his return may be seamless as the Dodgers are heading into playoffs.
Kershaw has been seen resuming pitching activities as of late. On Wednesday, ahead of the Dodgers game versus the Miami Marlins, Kershaw threw in the bullpen. According to David Vassegh, he threw between 80-83 pitchings in that bullpen session. In correspondence to his heavier workload in the pen, Kershaw’s toe is making great progress. He told reporters,”I’m hopeful these next 12 days I can be back out there…I’m remaining optimistic.”
In the bullpen Friday evening, Kershaw threw another session. His pitch count was much smaller, only reaching 30 pitches. The next step moving forward would be for him to face batters. Once he gets live hitters under his belt, a return time will be closer to being set.
Kershaw’s Season with Los Angeles
After debuting with the Dodgers in 2008, Kershaw has entered his 17th season with the Dodgers this year. This season has been very short in comparison to his others in terms of innings pitched. Due to the rehabilitation process of the left shoulder surgery he underwent last year, he did not make his season debut until late July.
He pitched seven games this season before being plagued by yet another injury. During that time, he has been solid as he garnered a 4.50 ERA while registering 24 strikeouts and a 1.5 WHIP. His first couple of starts were shaky as his July ERA was at 5.87. With his following appearances, he was able to bring that number down as he settled into his groove. Los Angeles is hopeful the upward trend of his latest starts will continue as he aims to return to the mound by the postseason.
Dodgers’ Postseason Pitching Staff
The return of Kershaw would seem to bode well for Los Angeles. Their pitching staff has been flooded with nightmares and uncertainty all season long, but their struggles have gotten more prominent as October approaches.
As it stands, there are only three starters that are set for playoffs. Those include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, and Landon Knack. With many unhealthy and others underperforming, the Dodgers will have tough decisions to make moving forward.
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