The casual baseball eye might not detect it, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have had a clown car full of players hit the injured list this season. At 61-42, Los Angeles leads the NL West despite nearly all their MLB starting rotation hitting the shelf at one point this season. However, on Wednesday, the Dodgers welcomed back ace Tyler Glasnow after a short IL stint, with the lengthy righty (who looks just like Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders) throwing five innings of one-run ball.
It’s Christmas morning all over again for Dodgers fans on Thursday, with the NL West-leading team receiving another shot in the proverbial arm with the activation of left-hander Clayton Kershaw. One shoulder surgery, multiple bullpen sessions, and three rehab starts later, and Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, will make his long-awaited season debut on Thursday at home against the San Francisco Giants. How will the all-time great fare?
Clayton Kershaw: Making Season Debut
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Clayton Kershaw will debut on Thursday, marking his 17th straight season of MLB baseball, all with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The now 36-year-old underwent shoulder surgery last November to repair the glenohumeral ligament and capsule (a fancy way of saying he went under the knee to stabilize the head of the shoulder). Despite the lengthy rehab process of such a surgery, the Dodgers handed Kershaw a one-year, $10 million contract with a player option for 2025.
After a lengthy rehab process, including ten innings in a minor league assignment, Kershaw will finally toe the slab for the first time on Thursday. Despite a drop in velocity over the years, Kershaw remains one of the best arms in baseball. Last season, the 6’4” hurler went 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 24 starts. However, the ten-time All-Star finished his season on a sour note, allowing six runs on six hits in his lone start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. He got just one out while Arizona swept Los Angeles in three games.
Kershaw: Return Further Stabilizes Starting Rotation
With the addition of Clayton Kershaw on Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation is starting to resemble that of an elite starting five. Earlier this week, the Dodgers operated with a five-man rotation of James Paxton, Landon Knack, River Ryan, Justin Wrobleski, and Gavin Stone. Only Paxton and Stone started the season on the active roster. However, with the return of elite pitchers Glasnow and Kershaw, Los Angeles has since parted ways with Paxton and optioned Knack to the minors.
Meanwhile, two-time All-Star Walker Buehler is nearing a return from his injury. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday as he recovers from a hip injury. His return could come during the first week of August. As for star offseason signee Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old still lacks a timetable for return. He has not received clearance for mound work since landing on the IL with a triceps injury.
As for the other injured starting pitchers, the expectation remains they will all miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Former top prospect and flame thrower Dustin May was shut down earlier this month for a non-baseball-related injury as he returned from a flexor tendon surgery. Fellow top prospect Emmet Sheehan and All-Star Tony Gonsolin will also miss the remainder of the year, but the expectation is both hurlers will be ready by next season’s Spring Training. Sheehan and Gonsolin are both victims of Tommy John surgery.
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