The Dodgers announced they’re placing ace Clayton Kershaw on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left forearm. Righty Mitch White has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his spot on the active roster.
No timeline has been placed on Kershaw’s return, but any injury to a pitcher’s forearm is obviously of some concern. It’s particularly alarming when that pitcher is a player of Kershaw’s caliber. While he’s no longer the best pitcher in the sport like he was at his peak, the three-time Cy Young Award winner remains a highly-effective hurler. Through 106 1/3 innings this season, Kershaw has worked to a 3.39 ERA with fantastic strikeout and walk rates (30.1% and 4.5%, respectively).
An IL stint for Kershaw only adds to the likelihood the Dodgers acquire some starting pitching depth in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. The reigning World Series champions are still amidst a three-way battle in the NL West. Los Angeles trails the Giants by half a game and sits three games up on the third-place Padres.
Getting Kershaw back for the stretch run is obviously of paramount importance for the organization as they look to defend their championship. It’s also pivotal for Kershaw personally, as he’s slated to hit free agency at the end of the season. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes slotted the 33-year-old southpaw ninth on his most recent free agent power rankings last month.
Colt 45
that’s not good at all
sdbaseballguy
and no Bauer, suddenly the staff is getting thin.
BlueSkies_LA
It was already getting thin when May went down. Now it is completely decimated.
sdbaseballguy
Hard to say decimated when you have Buehler, Urias and Gonsolin but they’ll need Price to step up and throw some quality innings. They’re already above the tax line, so I don’t anticipate any expensive additions.
BeforeMcCourt
Hyperbolic much?
If Bauer gets suspended for the year AND Kershaw needs TJS, sure. Even if that’s already happened in your mind, it hasn’t happened in reality. But for now it’s just a mid season fatigue injury before the ASB
BlueSkies_LA
Real world, much?
1. Bauer will be suspended. It’s only a matter of for how long.
2. Kershaw doesn’t need to have TJ to miss more than one or two starts.
3. Gonsolin is good for 4, maybe 5 innings on a good day. Maybe more some day, but not now. The need is now.
4. Price is good for 2 maybe 3 innings, on a good day. Maybe more some day, but not now. The need is now.
What we have left is Buehler and Urias, and that’s it. If you can figure out how to make a rotation out of that, even for a month, maybe you should be running a baseball team. My guess is you have no idea.
14thor
Well said. And Urias has 99 IP which is a career high for a single season.
BeforeMcCourt
1. You just want it to be so. I already used your own link on the other thread to show its far from a guarantee. Tip. Go actually read the link you pretended I’ve never seen before. Read the description of each violation and think for one Mili-second about how Bauer’s case doesn’t apply. The policy only covers 3 topics, and he doesn’t fit any of them. It very plainly says the Commish cannot punish using this policy for issues outside of the policy. It’s FAR from a guarantee Bauer gets suspended anymore than the admin leave. It took them a near full rotation turn to even put him on leave! Manfred is an attorney. He knows what he can and cannot get away with based on a document.
2. Kershaw missing 2 starts doesn’t decimate the rotation. Kershaw missing 2 months decimates the rotation. Your doomsday predictions have been constant for years and nearly never right. Shocker
3. Gonsolin is just getting back from injury. He threw 5 1/3 scoreless and has a 2.11 era in the year. He’s not a problem
4. price has started 3 games. They seem destined to not build him up past 50 pitches. Maybe it’s the off year. But he was never going to throw 180 innings or anything close. Nelson returning makes a tag team seem like a reasonable solution. But is he really the crux of this rotation? Hardly
So it’s really Buehler, Urias, Gonsolin and Price/Nelson. They don’t need a 5th starter until July 20. They placed Kershaw on the IL on July 6. That would give Kershaw 2 full weeks off before the date.
Honestly. If he’s not ready to go or close to it, it’s time to call up Josiah Gray. Robert’s said he’s up to 3 innings on July 5. Most pitchers, at least starters in the majors returning from injury I can think of, build about an inning per time through rotation. Assuming he continues his throwing program through the ASB, that lines up pretty well with July 20
Jeez. That was hard. It’s almost like the sky isn’t on fire and they had the best record in baseball 2 days ago. Guess I need to find that darn application..
socalblake
It will be interesting to note how the players do after the All
Star break. If I remember correctly, 2020 was a shortened season, coupled by a lot of Covid infections (or whatever you want to call it). I’m sure (and I’m assuming) that many players are looking forward to this break next week.
From a direct source, that knows many players, I know that many players just say they have “said injury” to just take a break.
BlueSkies_LA
I stopped reading at “you just want it to be so.” This came out of the wrong end of the horse, just like your earlier comments doubting whether Bauer would be suspended.
BlueSkies_LA
Kershaw has never once in his career wanted to take any breaks. Just about any time he’s lifted in a game he’s visibly ticked off. He’d throw 200 pitches in a game with a broken arm if his manager let him. Even assuming the extremely unlikely event that taking some elective time off was something he wanted to do now, for the first time ever, it would surely be the worst possible moment to choose, especially for a gamer like him. So I rate that as almost as likely as a snow day in July.
socalblake
I wonder if you’re as fun to talk baseball in person as you are online. Asking for a friend.
BeforeMcCourt
So in conclusion, you refuse to answer how you’re wrong with any reasonable argument
Says a lot. You didn’t read that damn link. You just posted it hoping I’d cower
BeforeMcCourt
Wanted or not, CK has take a 2-3 start Hiatus most recent seasons. Maybe it’s truly a flame up of his back injury every year, but it’s not unreasonable to think they’re monitoring everyone’s innings, including Kershaw
BeforeMcCourt
How you’re not wrong*. Missed the edit window before realizing a word was missing
Cmon. Throw a rebuttal. I used the document. You’ve only thrown emotions and personal feelings at me
BlueSkies_LA
Because nothing I said is wrong. Two and half starters is not five.
While we’re at at, read the domestic violence policy. It’s short, and to the point. Should take you all of five minutes. It should be clearer to you than it was to Bauer. Or maybe not. Either way, no need to reply until you’ve done it.
socalblake
Hey Blue Skies,
Maybe it might occur to you that someone knows something you may not.. You know, you don’t HAVE to disagree with everything everyone posts in response to you. It’s evident you’re salty that Bauer’s out and CK’s on the IL, and May’s out with TJ. Try being more positive, Seager’s back soon. Maybe he’s the missing piece for the hitting to pick up. Just sayin’. but whatever, you do you.
Fever Pitch Guy
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Dixon Miaz
Tommy John?
YankeesBleacherCreature
Amputation. Love the overreacting.
oldmansteve
RIP he will be missed
Prospectnvstr
Steve Nebraska: No pie for you, no soup for you, now go sit in the corner until you can type (text) like a decent commenter.
birdsfan415
oh no
Deleted_User
Oof!
Nothing
Kershaw’s a trooper, he just needs a little rest. He’ll be back before you know it.
aragon
he’s done! not. but when are the dodgers going to have a parking lot of their own? cheap!
theroyal19
I’m willing to bet it’s a situation of getting extra rest for Kershaw with IL roster manipulation. He threw 4 innings on Saturday before the rain delay. Get 2 weeks off and come back to pitch in the 4 game Giants series 7/19-7/22
Brew’88
That would be dishonest
pepenas34
Why is resting players on a 162 games season been dishonest ?
Brew’88
Because the team put him on IL due to forearm issue, not because he needed to be rested
Cam
Concerning..especially since his average fastball (having already declined from his peak) is down from 91.6mph last year, to 90.7mph now.
At times he’s looked like he’s struggling to finish pitches – which is saying something, because he’s still very good. But something definitely isn’t right physically.
Hopefully a short stint and nothing more serious.
Hexbreaker
“as they look to defend their championship…”
What championship? 60 games is an extended spring training… not a real season.
Unclenolanrules
*
amk1920
Everyone had the same circumstances. This is a “real” season and the Dodgers are 20 games over .500 in early July. They are still the best team in baseball.
Brew’88
Except they don’t have the best record in baseball
BeforeMcCourt
They literally had the best record in baseball.. yesterday
Brew’88
Paul McCartney?
slund24
Best record yesterday but 4th best record today? Wow, three days past them in one day.
MikeD26
Best team in baseball? Just got swept by the Marlins lol
Joe Scuri
@MikeD26, try again.
Juuuuuust a bit outside.
Hey mike – last I checked they still have a game tomorrow. DOH! Take a seat!
MikeD26
Ouch, 3 out of 3 than I will try again tonight.
MikeD26
Today*
StPeteStingRays
*then
MikeD26
Then*
bellybombs
Can’t read a schedule I see.
mkeving
They had to win more playoff games with the janky format last year so this is a bad take.
Crypto Nerd
The season doesn’t matter once you make the playoffs.
Baseball fans have been saying that my whole life.
Plus Dodgers have the most depth in MLB, so a long season favors us more.
meckert
Maybe they’ll actually win a real title this year.
BuyBuyMets
And maybe you’ll stop being obtuse next year
But I doubt it.
nelliefox2
What did you call me? Obtuse? Get him outta here – 30 days in the hole !!!
Hit4me
I’m thinking he’s more acute than obtuse, but I respect your opinion
Hexbreaker
@meckert
I doubt it.
ElysianPark
And if your team had won last year, I am sure you would be saying the same thing and they would have rejected the trophy.
BeforeMcCourt
Dodgers had more wins to get with fewer off days in the o. Zero until the World Series
Both of the last 2 champs would not have been able to win their title in the same manner they won. Claiming it doesn’t count just makes you sound like a 10 year old child who didn’t get his way
I’m sure it would have “counted” if your team won. You know Braves fans or Rays fans wouldn’t be rejecting a title if they won. Grow up
Hexbreaker
@BeforeMcCourt
Grow up? 60 games is a children’s schedule.
BeforeMcCourt
I need to grow up, while you pout in the corner and try to claim a professional title doesn’t count because the regular season was short. Yet you refuse to acknowledge how the playoffs were infinitely harder and longer?
That was LA’s 8th straight playoff appearance. They were on pace for 115 wins. To claim they wouldn’t make the playoffs is ludicrous. So why does the regular season format matter more than the playoff format?
This argument would be justified if a sub 500 team snuck in with extended playoffs and the won the title. Not one on pace for 110+ wins.
You’re the one who needs to sack up buddy
Hexbreaker
@BeforeMcCourt
The playoffs were not “infinitely harder and longer.” They just added some teams that had no right being there.
I never claimed the Dodgers wouldn’t have made the playoffs… when did I say that?
And your “they were on pace for 115 wins” is the ludicrous statement. We’ll never know, but if it was a full 162, no doubt the Dodgers would have a slump or two, the usual slate of injuries, and then run out of gas in the post-season just like they always do.
Go ahead and dismiss the regular season.. but it’s a normally a marathon. LA won a sprint last year.
Misfit0620
No * everyone had the same opportunity we had we were just better than everyone else. I swear some of you guys are hilarious with that nonsense
Wowwwwww
They should go after Kyle Hendricks or Sherzer
Doug Dascenzo
Hendricks would be pretty expensive given his affordable contract, and the Dodgers don’t usually pony up the prospects. That said, the rotation looks significantly slimmer minus Kershaw & Bauer (assuming they are out for awhile), and they do have a real opportunity to defend their championship so the motivation to move some prospects to help the big squad is there. Acquiring a Hendricks/Kimbrel package would be a huge blow to the rest of the NL…..
BeforeMcCourt
The dodgers have acquired someone at the deadline of substance nearly every year since at least 2016
They have likely traded the most prospects of any team in baseball during that span. What a stupid take
Doug Dascenzo
Yeah but how many top prospects have they traded dumbo? Not that many. So take your stupid take comment and shove it up your backside.
BeforeMcCourt
So what? They’ve acquired the prize of the market nearly every year while they’ve been WS contenders.
Who TF cares and penalizes them because they didn’t overpay and their system is elite?
Take your idiotic, biased opinion and shove it
Brew’88
If possible, I’d like to be able to engage in discussion without being met by freshman guffaw and insults so here goes.
All of us here discuss trades/signings in terms of win/lose and value and the word overpay gets tossed around easily. But it’s hard to define “overpay” with some teams, given the payroll disparity in MLB.
For example, the Dodgers have by far and away the highest payroll/development resources in MLB.. And present legal/public image troubles aside, to any other franchise they overpaid with Bauer. But not necessarily to the Dodgers, they bought an ace and he’s pitched like one.
And it’s fair to say only a few teams have that advantage.
I know this is Dodger thread (hope Kershaw is back after ASG /snub), and I’m not singling out the Dodgers – bravo to them they have the means and should use it. But the fact is, they represent thee case example of payroll disparity. Criticism should be directed at MLB and MLBPA. NFL/NFLPA has issues but a proximity of their payroll cap agreement would benefit baseball.
And as we approach the trade deadline, the correlation between spenders and sellers vs payroll will be glaringly obvious once again. Good teams with poor resources, such as Milwaukee, Cleveland, TB and Oakland will likely be left out of the game..
Rsox
Dodgers won’t do an extension for Scherzer unless they know they can get out of Bauer’s contract so i wouldn’t expect a deal there. Last season they wouldn’t pull the trigger on a deal for Lance Lynn unless the Rangers paid down his salary so i wouldn’t expect reinforcements from outside
bobtillman
Mitch White has been moved up and down more than Stormy Daniels.
theroyal19
He’s the new Dennis Santana. Up and down until they finally get to a point to DFA him.
tstats
See Santana was never as effective as White has been. The new Santana IMO is gonna be Uceta
socalblake
haha. good one. plus one like.
Doug Dascenzo
Whenever I even read the word forearm in an article about a pitcher, I always fear TJ is coming. Hope that’s not the case here. Not a Dodger fan, but have really enjoyed this guy over the years. Him and Scherzer are the absolute best of their generation. Big charity guys off the field as well. Hope he’s back soon.
craigin805
How about Ryan Noda and Kendall Williams for Ross Stripling?
crshbng
Nice
groundhog5150
Just as they looked like they were going to overtake the Giants.
I’m seriously starting to think that the Giants starting pitching just might hold up.
BeforeMcCourt
Gives him a 2 week ASB instead of 3 days. if he is still hurting in 2 weeks and needs an MRI, that’s when concern starts to set in for me. Until then, he’s missing, what, 1 start if they want?
solaris602
Their pitching is holding up just fine, but the problem now is their lack of hitting with RISP. Someone needs to pick up the slack in that lineup.
Cap & Crunch
No doubt they will enter the Sp market over the next 3 weeks –
Nelson and Price just haven’t delivered the length we had hoped
Mitchell White is awful, Santana already got the boot, Uceta looks overwhelmed, Grays down for a good while and Gonzo still hovers under 75 pitches – There’s not much left in the tank here. Millers looking good but he’s probably a year away
theroyal19
Bobby Miller definitely looks like the best arm coming. Josiah Gray reminds me some of like a Chad Billingsly, I think there may be a little too much hype around him.
EasternLeagueVeteran
Hopefully everything works out for Kershaw. I hope for the beat for him, maybe like a DeGrom rest and then back in business. He does have a lot of innings in that arm but he remains one of the best in the game, and I would miss seeing him on the mound.
OnixConcepcionBats1000
Glub Glub Glub.
No May. No Bauer. No Kershaw.
Dodgers should be on the horn w Pittsburgh right now. Cherington would likely trade you in LA the entire starting staff.
And you need em. Asap.
May out indef. Bauer is done forever.
Kershaw will mend, but elbow is never good.
Without him? They are toast.
But…ya still got the Bats.
Now you needs arms.
And the Pirates are stockpiled with arms that they 1) don’t need now nor will they in 5 years when they sniff .500 again, 2) would probably toss in Shelby Miller too. Etc.
Price in return? Would be 10 young arms and 2 catchers.
Dodgers can afford it. Hell, they spent 35 million on a pitcher who probably won’t ever pitch again. (That may be more than the entire payroll of the Pirates).
And in return…Los Angeles gets “playing in the MLB right now…arms”.
5 of em.
But they want 10 back and 2 catchers please. (For that booty? They probably would even toss in Frazier and Moran). Maybe make it 11 pitchers if Frazier is added in. Moran? Lol. You can have him.
Pirates got all the time in the world to continue to suck. So 19-21 year old pitchers please.
But the Dodgers? After the debacle that this year has become, from losing 3 strong pitchers to now the ownership of the team making the field manager “explain the team stance on The Current Fiasco going on?”
Well…ya need some wins and fast. And a staff.
Pittsburgh is where you seek.
They ain’t great. Granted. But better than your alternative.
frankf
Can we interest you in something from the Kyle Hendricks department?