Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has been placed on the disabled list, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Hyun-jin Ryu is now slated to start the club's home opener on Friday, Shaikin adds (via Twitter).
Kershaw has struggled with inflammation of a back muscle this spring, though he was able to start the team's first game of the season, which was held in Australia against the Diamondbacks. The move likely stems from an abundance of caution after the Dodgers inked the lefty to a seven-year, $215MM extension this winter. Commenting on the move, manager Don Mattingly offered that the club merely aims to protect Kershaw from himself, according to another Shaikin tweet.
However, the decision has to be cause for at least some concern. Kershaw indicated as recently as Wednesday that he planned to start the April 4 matchup with the Giants, but that duty now falls to Ryu.
I did the same thing when I read Jose Iglesias was out for the season. You had the same reaction for a defensive shortstop being out for the season as someone would have for Kershaw being out. You do realize that Kershaw is at least a million times more important. Maybe if Miggy was out for the season that would be comparable.