The Los Angeles Dodgers received a couple of body blows this weekend as they’ve put two major arms on the injured list. First, Los Angeles placed Clayton Kershaw, one of the stalwarts in the rotation, on the IL with a persistent bone spur in his left big toe. It came just a night after he was forced to exit his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks early. Adding to the team’s pitching woes, reliever Joe Kelly also landed on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
Impact of Clayton Kershaw’s Injury
It’s a big concern for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Kershaw has been dealing with this bone spur for years, but it showed up in a major way in his last start. Manager Dave Roberts went so far as to say that Kershaw could not push off the mound at all. That created the issue of Kershaw leaving in the second inning, raising questions about how he would recover and return.
To complicate things further for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the injury to Joe Kelly did little to help matters. Kelly was placed on the IL after a season-high 46 pitches in relief of Kershaw. His shoulder inflammation came at a challenging time for a team already short-handed in the bullpen.
Los Angeles Dodgers Roster Moves
Due to these injuries, the Los Angeles Dodgers made some roster moves by calling up Ben Casparius and Brent Honeywell Jr. from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Both have a good chance of adding depth to the bullpen, which was stretched in Friday’s game into covering eight innings. These are important moves that help the Dodgers navigate pitching shortages.
There’s more ambiguity about when Kershaw will return. Roberts stated that they should know more about his possible return date after the swelling in his toe goes down. He still hopes to be back before the end of the year, but his status will depend on how soon the injury to his toe improves.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are battling through a tough stretch, with several key pitchers on the IL. The club has remained competitive despite these setbacks. Kershaw’s and Kelly’s setbacks further pressurized the remaining pitchers and the newly called-up players. Now, that puts pressure on a team with already-depleted depth as they resume their quest for a strong finish to the season.
In Conclusion
The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing a seriously problematic pitching situation as Clayton Kershaw and Joe Kelly have been placed on the injured list. Kershaw’s spur and Kelly’s shoulder inflammation just opened a hole in the team’s rotation and bullpen, but the Dodgers made necessary adjustments by calling up the new guys to fill the void.
The return of Tyler Glasnow adds a glimmer of hope to that cause. Moving into the season’s closing stages, what happens with the Dodgers is that they have to consider these injuries yet still maintain their competitive edge. First and foremost, how well the team can adapt and handle their pitching staff will determine much of their success this season.
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