Clayton Kershaw may not be ready in time for Dodgers season opener
For the first time since 2010, someone other than Clayton Kershaw might open the season on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw is improving after experiencing an arm issue, but manager Dave Roberts admitted Monday there’s a chance Kershaw may not be ready for the start of the season, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
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The news shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Kershaw has been behind in camp. The 30-year-old pitcher was shut down with arm issues Feb. 22. He attempted to throw Feb. 25, but his arm “didn’t feel great.”
If there’s good news, it’s that Kershaw will play catch Monday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Clayton Kershaw feeling well enough to play catch again today. Throws increasingly firmer each day.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 4, 2019
Kershaw came out of that throwing session “more than encouraged.”
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said Clayton Kershaw was “more than encouraged” by his throwing session today. “He was pretty excited, so that was a good thing for us.”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 4, 2019
Should Kershaw continue to improve, he would have a little over three weeks to get fully prepared for the season. That’s not much time considering Kershaw hasn’t thrown in a game yet. Given his inactivity, Kershaw would need at least a few games before he was fully stretched out.
If Kershaw is able to go on opening day, it’s possible he would be on a strict pitch limit. If not, the Dodgers will turn to one of their many capable arms to take Kershaw’s spot.
That decision could come down to Walker Buehler, Rich Hill or Hyun-jin Ryu. Of that group, Buehler had the best season in 2018, but he’s also the youngest. The team could go with Hill or Ryu if it wanted to reward a veteran.
As long as Kershaw won’t miss an extended period of time, the Dodgers are well equipped to handle his absence. The team could use Ross Stripling or Julio Urias to fill in while Kershaw gets back to full strength. That should be enough to keep the Dodgers competitive.
Knowing that, the Dodgers may want to take it slow with their ace. Given the injuries Kershaw has dealt with the past couple seasons, the Dodgers will want to be sure he’s ready so they can have him at 100 percent when they are in the thick of the playoff hunt.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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