With the postseason getting underway next week, the Dodgers figure to be without Clayton Kershaw at least into the middle of October. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic) that the future Hall of Famer is “not going to be viable for a couple weeks.” Kershaw has been out since late August on account of bone spurs in his left big toe.
Roberts said earlier in the week that the three-time Cy Young winner was in a “holding pattern” on his rehab. That didn’t bode well for his availability for the start of the playoffs. That’s a lock now. The Dodgers would clinch the NL West and a first-round bye with a win over the Padres tonight. Assuming they wrap up the division — either tonight or during their weekend series in Colorado — they’ll punch their ticket to a Division Series beginning next weekend.
Kershaw clearly isn’t going to be ready by that point. The NLCS begins on October 13. Roberts’ timeline leaves open the possibility of Kershaw returning for that series if the Dodgers get there, but it’s far from guaranteed. The Dodgers have already ruled out Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone through the entire postseason. Kershaw’s return seems questionable at best.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty will take the ball in some order for the first two games of the postseason. Rookie righty Landon Knack probably lines up as L.A.’s Game 3 starter. The Dodgers haven’t managed to get Walker Buehler on track, while Bobby Miller pitched so poorly that he was optioned back to Triple-A a few weeks ago.
Kershaw’s regular season concludes with a 4.50 ERA over 30 innings. He didn’t make his season debut until shortly after the All-Star Break as he completed rehab from last November’s shoulder surgery. He made seven starts. That’s significant from a contractual perspective. Kershaw’s two-year, $10MM deal contained a ton of incentives. He tacked on $2.5MM to this year’s $5MM base salary. Getting to seven starts also added $5MM in escalators to next year’s player option. That option was initially valued at $5MM but will land at $10MM; Kershaw could boost that as high as $25MM if he makes 25 starts next year.
The Dodgers provided a few additional injury updates this evening. Miguel Rojas, who left last night’s game, said that he’s been diagnosed with a partially torn left adductor (groin) muscle (X link via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). The veteran infielder said he’ll need to undergo surgery in the offseason but believes he’ll be able to play through it during the postseason. Rojas has emerged as Roberts’ starting shortstop thanks to his defensive reliability and a solid .283/.337/.410 showing at the plate. He won’t play tonight. Tommy Edman moves in to play shortstop while Andy Pages steps into the lineup in center field.
The bullpen is also taking a hit. Roberts said that righty Brusdar Graterol is going back on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation (via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times). Graterol has battled shoulder problems dating back to Spring Training. He also lost a few weeks late in the year to a hamstring strain. The hard-throwing sinkerballer has been limited to seven appearances, during which he has thrown 7 2/3 frames of two-run ball. Graterol was one of the best relievers in MLB last year, turning in a 1.20 ERA across 67 1/3 frames.
llily9727
I’m not going to lose sleep over it. Not the way he pitches in the postseason.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Lily
Clayton Kershaw is 13-13 in the post-season. Only a few pitchers in MLB history with more post-season wins.
llily9727
Just a .500 pitcher then. And with a 4.49 ERA
FSF
Kershaw has been awful in the post season with an ERA almost double what it is in the regular season. No way to sugar coat it. He’s been legendary in the regular season and below average in the playoffs.
gbs42
FSF,
“awful” or “below average?”. Those are not the same thing.
Bucket Number Six
He has probably been average in the playoffs when you adjust for the offense level of his opponents.
Gmen777
I forget the inning threshold (probably minimum 50 innings) but I’m pretty sure Kershaw has the second worst postseason ERA of all time behind Scherzer. I genuinely believe if Kershaw pitched as good in the postseason as he did in the regular season I think the Dodgers have 2 more 162 game rings at least
gbs42
Gmen,
Scherzer’s postseason ERA is 3.78 in 143 IP. I’m “pretty sure” you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Gmen777
I don’t remember the pitcher in the number one spot other than it was a big name but my point is Kershaw’s postseason ERA is among the worst of all time for pitchers who have pitched more than 50 innings.
gbs42
I don’t know who the big name is, but it’s not Verlander: 3.58 ERA in 226 postseason innings.
I do agree Kershaw overall has been disappointing in the playoffs.
gbs42
Tim Wakefield has a 6.75 ERA IN 72 IP. Jake Peavy is at 7.98 in 38.1 IP.
paddyo furnichuh
Indeed! A pitcher can rack up quality starts and have a 4.50 ERA. Yes, ERA is just one metric and has its flaws like any one specific statistic tends to possess.
Tim Regan
They can be.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Andy Pettitte has a 3.81 ERA in 276 postseason innings. He’s also a bum. /s
VegasMoved
There’s no denying Kershaw’s career postseason numbers are pretty mediocre, and he’s has some pretty big blow ups. What’s a shame is that he’s also had some legitimately great games and moments that have gone overshadowed.
Case in point: Kershaw has pitched out of the bullpen in four different winner-take-all postseason games. He was lights out in three of them (5.2 IP, 7 K, 0 runs, 2 hits, no inherited runners scored). Guess which is the only game people remember?
billdoran
That’s incredible. 2 full solid seasons these days. That was one of the best team runs in history (including the ‘98 steamroll)
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I can agree with disappointing. My point is that overall he has been average not atrocious in post-season. A let down from his brilliant regular season history, sure, but still a useful asset to slot in as a number four out here in a post-season rotation. But let’s see how the toe heals and Dodgers even make it to NLCS, which is the soonest he would be activated.
Dodgerfan75
FSF, actually he’s pitched well. He’s been mishandled a lot. ESP when young by torre and mattingly. Way too many games in the post season he’s been great through 6 and lit up in the 7th. A good manager says you’ve done enough sit down. Joe and don left him out way too long to many times. ESP against the cards. Multiple times.
spliffTONE
@MLB Top 100 Commenter: Cope harder, dude
Sdubs
Send that from the short bus?
Very Barry
Michael Kopech is your best available starter, and he can do the job. Too bad after coming over from the White Sox he became your best bullpen arm, and is now the closer.
Bucket Number Six
Too bad the Dodgers fumigated that White Sox stench off him before he took the field for them. You know that smell, Barry. Smells like your comments.
Sdubs
Bauer, Puig, Urias, dirty Utley, dirty Manny. And yet you talk
Mojo37
didn’t realize all those derelicts were still on the Dodgers. Thanks for letting us know.
Ezpkns34
For what it’s worth, Kershaw’s Postseason advanced metrics:
* FIP – 3.81 (2.83 career regular season)
* xFIP – 3.39 (3.01 regular season)
* SIERA – 3.02 (3.13 regular season)
Seems fair to say there’s been somee bad luck, especially considering Dave Roberts’ obsession with leaving him in longer than he should
differentbears
The pitcher with the most postseason starts of 7 or more IP, 0-1 R allowed, 3 or less hits allowed is…
Clayton Kershaw with 7 such starts.
differentbears
Bump it to 2 R in any start, and we have 14 of Kershaw’s postseason starts being to his standard. Bump it to 3 R and it’s 20 of his postseason starts.
There’s probably a pretty short list of starters with 14 total postseason starts, let alone 20.
What really messes up his postseason story is mostly one rhing: really bad luck (and a little cheating). He was often either left in a game too long, or when he was taken out, nearly all his runners were allowed to score by the bullpen. A whole bunch of his ERs allowed were after he was removed.
Kershaw was also left to die in multiple close out games, where the Dodger manager let him wear it. It’s pretty incredible to see how seemingly every managerial decision with Kershaw (especially in his early years) ended up going the worst way possible, regardless of whether he was left in or pulled. Up until 2014, it was something like 89% of inherited runners scored after he was pulled, where the league average was under 40%.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Smarter than the average bear
mark68
It won’t matter anyway. They’ll get bounced out of the first round. Again.
Mojo37
mark68
is 68 your IQ?
Shrutefarm
Brusdar Graterol is in the same predicament.
DashaToushu
Hopefully Kershaw’s back next season to
1) Give the Dodgers some innings
2) Get that 3000th career K
Butter Biscuits
Only 32 more k’s
Bucket Number Six
Right now Smoltz is shaking his head and saying to himself that Greinke and Kershaw just didn’t have the mental fortitude to get 3000 Ks.
Mojo37
more likely Smoltz would be shaking his head at comments like yours
Sdubs
Washed
bkbk
Hes going to get healthy enough to lose the divisional and its going to be CINEMA!
toptimrubies
You have to find something to root for this time of year I guess, since your favorite team only has a few games left.
BirdieMan
Kershaw is done. Can’t stay healthy
highflyballintorightfield
Too bad about Graterol. He looked great in the brief time since he returned recently. Probably means that absent further injury Kelly makes the postseason roster (ugh) and Honeywell too if Gonsolin and Banda don’t show recovery.
LordD99
So next season. If there is one for him.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Imagine if kershaw next year does what Chris sale did this year and does 30 starts out of nowhere
Mojo37
not likely sad but I love the optimistic, positive vibe. how refreshing.
Sdubs
Imagine he actually show up this season?
Mojo37
Game time! Time to clinch. Go blue!
Cam
I don’t think I want to see him come back and throw 89mph in the postseason anyway. Get healthy, come back for one more run next year, and hopefully go out on a high.
DarkSide830
Methinks we’ve seen the last of Kersh.
blakestreet
$7.5 million for pitching 30 innings this season. Absurd. This is a game, not neurosurgery.
toptimrubies
Wait until you see what Kris Bryant got paid for 155 PA.
blakestreet
The wrong Rockie is retiring. It should be Bryant, not Blackmon.
DashaToushu
@blake and toptim
What until you see what Guggenheim made this year.
And imagine how much doctors would earn if there were only about 1000 of them in the US.
Baseball players make a lot of money because MLB makes a lot of money.
It has nothing to do with the merits of the job.
If you want to pay doctors and teachers more, crank up the taxes on the people making millions per year.
blakestreet
A “player” is someone who actually plays.
DashaToushu
@blake
“A “player” is someone who actually plays”
Wrong.
But if you want to embarrass yourself by not only thinking, but saying, that Kershaw and Bryant aren’t baseball players, knock yourself out.
toptimrubies
@Dasha
I don’t have a problem with any MLB player salaries.
blakestreet
Dasha: Ok…Kershaw and Bryant are currently inactive players who are extraordinarily well- paid despite often not playing. Whatever.
DashaToushu
@Blake
So, professional baseball players? Agreed.
Mojo37
a game 3.8 million showed up to watch in person, never mind the broadcast audience. 7.5 mill bux. pfft.
As of July 2024, Dodgers’s annual revenue reached $750M.
Mojo37
correction:
Dodgers attendance for the 2024 regular season checked in at 3,941,251
Rickey O'Sunnyvale
Look for Gonsolin to be used as an opener going 2, 3 or 4 innings. Meow!
abcrazy4dodgers
No, Bueller isn’t Bueller yet. However every start has been an improvement and is either your #3 starter (or bulk innings)