The postseason has arrived, but the Dodgers are expected to be without their three-time Cy Young starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. A bone spur in his left big toe is likely to sideline Kershaw for the rest of the season.
According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed on Wednesday that Kershaw has not faced any batters and does not appear to be progressing quickly towards a return.
Despite not facing batters, Kershaw has been staying active by playing catch and participating in flat-ground sessions while protecting his foot. However, his progress has not been sufficient to prepare him for postseason games.
Kershaw, who returned to the mound in July after shoulder surgery, has struggled this season with a career-worst 4.50 ERA in seven starts. His performance has not been up to his usual standards, with 24 strikeouts, nine walks, and 36 hits allowed.
In addition to Kershaw, the Dodgers are dealing with multiple starting pitchers on the injured list, including Gavin Stone, Tyler Glasnow, River Ryan, and Tony Gonsolin. None of the Dodgers’ starters have been injury-free this season.
As for position players, Freeman, Rojas, and Kiermaier are being evaluated on a day-by-day basis, with Freeman and Rojas set to start in Game 1 of the NLDS.
Despite the injuries, the Dodgers will have Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as their starting pitchers for the first two games of the NLDS.
Photo Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!
