Dodgers fans received great news regarding veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw today, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) this afternoon. The lefty pitched three innings without giving up a hit in a rehab start at the Triple-A level yesterday, striking out five while walking just one. According to Roberts, Kershaw is set to attempt to build on that strong outing on Friday with a four-to-five inning start. If that next rehab start goes well, the manager went on to suggest that the lefty could then return to the big leagues to make his 2024 debut.
A return to the Dodgers shortly after the All Star break would be a fantastic outcome for Kershaw, who had to be shut down from his rehab just three weeks ago due to lingering soreness in his shoulder. Last night’s start was his first since ramping back up after that shut down, and the fact that he’s already seemingly on the cusp of a return suggests that the soreness that had sidelined him has evaporated entirely. The future Hall of Famer’s return to action can’t come soon enough for the Dodgers, as the dire state of the club’s rotation mix has led them toward calling up right-handed prospect River Ryan just 16 1/3 innings into his season at the Triple-A level.
With both Kershaw and Ryan seemingly poised to join the club’s rotation as reinforcements in the aftermath of the break, the Dodgers are surely hoping the pair can combine with the existing quartet of veteran James Paxton and rookies Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, and Justin Wrobleski to handle starting duties until ace righty Tyler Glasnow is ready to return from the injured list. Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are also both on the IL but expected to return to the majors at some point this season, while youngster Bobby Miller was sent to Triple-A recently despite the thinned-out rotation mix due to a brutal 8.07 ERA in seven starts this year.
Kershaw isn’t the only veteran help the Dodgers will be getting back from the IL shortly after the break, as Harris also relays that (per Roberts) outfielder Jason Heyward will be ready to return to action after the All Star break and will not require a rehab assignment before returning to the majors. The 34-year-old has taken a step back this year relative to his surprisingly strong 2023 campaign but has still been roughly league average at the plate with a .203/.299/.398 slash line in 42 games this season.
Heyward’s return should add depth to an outfield mix that has relied on struggling youngster James Outman in recent days. Outman entered the campaign likely to be a regular in the outfield for the Dodgers on the heels of an excellent 2023 season but struggled brutally in the early weeks of the season, leading the Dodgers to option him in mid-May. While he’s improved upon his previously brutal .147/.250/.266 slash line since returning earlier this month, Outman’s .273/.333/.273 slash line in six games since coming back to the majors hasn’t exactly inspired confidence in his ability to reclaim a regular role with the Dodgers, and the return of a steadier bat like Heyward’s should be a relief for the Dodgers team that has at times struggled to get production from the bottom of its lineup this year.
Heyward is joined in making progress towards a return by superstar Mookie Betts, who Roberts told reporters (including Harris) has begun to field grounders as he rehab his fractured left hand. Betts has been on the shelf since mid-June with a 6-8 week recovery time expected and isn’t expected back until sometime in August. He seems to still be more or less on track for that return, with Roberts noting (according to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker) that the 31-year-old is “excited” about the progress he’s making.
Betts was in the midst of a MVP-caliber season prior to his injury, slashing an incredible .304/.405/.488 in 72 games that’s made all the more impressive by the fact that he was simultaneously making a relatively seamless transition to becoming the everyday shortstop in L.A. this season. Miguel Rojas has looked good on both sides of the ball in an expanded role since Betts went on the shelf, however, meaning that the star might spent more time at a position more familiar to him such as second base or right field upon his return.
looking at Bobby Miller stats this year in minors or majors seems like something needs big time fixing.
Kershaw will be huge and right now Dodgers are scuffling and need a front line pitcher to stop the bleeding
Miller is a headcase. All the talent in the world and pitched like the Dodgers version of Noah Syndergaard. He needs to get it right mentally
You keep commenting that he’s a headcase, wtf are you talking about? What is your source that he is anything but a talented kid that is scuffling?
he’s just mad because Miller snubbed him over little kids asking for an autograph..
This is literally my first comment saying that lmao. I don’t mean as a person. Anyone who has watched the Bobby pitch can see he gets down at the first sign of adversity and constantly walks batters on a 0-2 count. It was happening even while producing last year
And this to you makes him a head case? Many if not most rookie pitchers do the same thing, wasting pitches when they get ahead. Are practically all rookie pitchers head cases because they haven’t learned yet that this doesn’t work in the majors?
Last year there were multiple instances where it was two outs and nobody on and he gave gives up a grand slam. This week in Philly he gets two quick outs then implodes for 3 runs. I dont know how you can watch every start he makes and not see there is something off mentally with him. People can interpret it any way they want but he is a head case in a sense they need to get him in the right spot mentally. There is no reason the 4th highest velocity SP in baseball should have an 8 ERA
Because big league hitters can mash fastballs? I mean, not really a theory because we know it’s true, right?
Anyway you gotta love the curbside psychologists. So much medical expertise on these boards. It’s just awesome.
Kind of like being an internet GM getting mad every time the Dodgers claim a guy off waivers. Honeywell did everything they needed and more
amk
People just make stuff up
In his MLB career, Miller has 138 0-2 counts. Those have resulted in 64 K’s and just 7 walks.
Total fabrication by amk
Silliness.
Bobby Miller pitched 124 1/3 innings last season. He gave up 12 home runs. and 1 grand slam to Alex Bregman on June 24. This year he’s also given up 1 grand slam. In the one postseason game he played in the NLDS he gave up 3 runs. So, you’re just making stuff up now. baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=mi…
VLM
Amk is a head case, one might say
Miller is 100% not mentally tough. You can see it every start. He has 0 confidence at the first sign of trouble. It’s like he expects things to go wrong.
He’s a 25 year old kid that’s scuffling. You’re such a mentally tough guy that you trash young players behind your keyboard. Stop playing armchair psychologist, you’re bad at it.
Most young players have to make adjustments as the league adjusts to them. This is such a common occurrence I wonder how any baseball fan could not be familiar with it. Just to name one, it took Kershaw several years to get his control issues worked out. He wasted a lot of pitches in his first few seasons.
Clayton has been a wonderful representative of baseball. Whole career all class. Wish a full recovery and success rest of 2024.
Stay healthy in 2025 be in a rotation with Shohei.
The Dodgers really need to just sign Trevor Bauer. It is crazy how much he would help. He knows the team and stadium already. He would pitch for the league minimum and he said he would do it as a way to pay the Dodgers back for paying him not to play last year. He would make them almost instant NL favorites.
Every team could have signed him, none wants the headache.
“Really need to just sign Trevor Bauer”…I Dodgers already previously signed Bauer and decided they wanted no part of him.
Yohan Ramirez blew another game today for Dodgers. Roberts keeps running him out there and he keeps failing bigly. I am sure all the Roberts apologists have their engines running and can’t wait to jump in.
No, but the Andy Friedman apologists would like a word.
“Friedman apologists”…I don’t think a GM who’s won his division, what 10 of the last 11 years(and won 105+ games the year he lost), needs anyone to apologize for him. With Friedman’s track record(also winning a World Series title)I believe 90% of current teams would fire their current GM to hire him in their place.
Hmmm, no. Not really getting it. I was responding to a post. You might want to look at it again.
why do I think BlueSkies is a former DodgerBlues member?
And here’s a frowny face for you. 🙁
Why do people line up for them? One of life’s mysteries.
f471D
I don’t know about a “Roberts apologist” but I do understand some things about baseball
Like managers aren’t the sole decision makers. They get info about who is available and who isn’t and what matchups are favorable.
I also know the Dodgers are all but certain to win their division so they have room to let players grow at the MLB level – and that means failing sometimes.
They have called up Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, Gavin Stone, and River Ryan is coming up after the All-Star break. How many pitchers do you think they have down there?
OD
As VLM has alluded to, which ones would you like to see?
Outman
Pages
Miller
Pepiot
Stone
Sheehan
Grove
Knack
Hurt
have all debuted recently with Ryan set to make his debut soon.
Who, specifically, do you want to see?
Look into the mirror Friedman and ask yourself if YOU can do better?!
Look into the mirror, Hudler’s Son, and ask yourself if YOU can do better?!
Yes and I do.
Said the mirror anyway
HS
Right
Tell us how you do better than holding down one of the 30 most prestigious jobs in your field
Look into the mirror, Dave Roberts, and ask if you can do better
It is absolutely pathetic that a team with the kind of payroll the Dodgers run is asking for more out of the GM. Who knew throwing billions wasn’t the way to win a world series?
Clayton will no doubt help the rotation, however he does nothing to relieve the bullpen. He will be one of four 5-inning or less starters. River Ryan, when he arrives, will likely be on a pitch limit. It is remarkable the situation with the number of starters on the IL. Additionally, the Dodgers will have to pay dearly with prospects to acquire any decent starting pitching help and sellers are getting a first-hand look at their best pitching prospects. They have pitchers in the rotation AND in the bullpen that don’t belong in the major leagues.
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw, Graterol & Kelly will help alleviate the issues with the staff. Friedman will pull something outta the hat in the next couple weeks. Then hope they don’t choke in October again….
I am almost rooting for at least one of the Padres, DBacks, and Giants to get their acts together. They aren’t responsible for the Dodgers listless and lackadaisical play, of course, but having to play games that mean something might stop Roberts from fooling around so much…putting the game in Johan’s hands, letting Vargas wander around left field like a blindfolded chicken….
It’s sickening that this buy-everyone scumbag outfit can just have Clayton Kershaw decide that he wants to sign back up for an easy ring and the spoiler loser fans can still call him “homegrown” even though he’s been a high-priced FA multiple times now and of course somehow he’s still pitching well despite all the injuries because the Dodgers are that blessed because of the disgusting amounts of money they spend to finally try and buy their first legit World Series since 1988.
MS
Adios, troll