Clayton Kershaw has been forced to watch the Dodgers’ playoff run from the dugout due to the bone spurs in his left big toe, which capped off an injury-marred season that saw him pitch a career-low 30 innings. Despite these obstacles, Kershaw told the Fox Sports pregame crew today (video link) that he plans to return for his 18th Major League season.
Referring to the shoulder procedure he underwent last November, Kershaw said “I want to make use of this surgery, you know? I don’t want to have surgery and shut it down. So I’m gonna come back next year and give it a go and see how it goes.” While he referred to his bone spurs as “some tough luck,” Kershaw said that otherwise, “my shoulder and elbow, everything, my arm, feels great.”
Injuries have been an omnipresent part of Kershaw’s story for the last several seasons, and he has openly considered retirement before eventually deciding to keep pitching in general, and keep pitching for the Dodgers. With a 4.50 ERA over his 30 frames in his age-36 season, this marked the first time Kershaw showed any decline in performance amidst his health concerns — while limited to 258 innings over the 2022-23 seasons, Kershaw still had a 2.37 ERA and was an All-Star in both campaigns.
Kershaw didn’t give any hint as to whether or not another surgery might be required to address his bone spurs, though that might seem the logical course of action for what has seemingly been a longer-term issue. (Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said in August that Kershaw had been dealing with the bone spurs for multiple years.) Until we know if such a procedure is even required or not, it’s too soon to say if Kershaw might be fully ready to go when the Dodgers start their Spring Training camp in February. His shoulder rehab delayed his 2024 debut until July 25.
While rehabbing from the shoulder surgery, Kershaw delayed his next contract until February 2024, when he rejoined the Dodgers on a two-year, $10MM guarantee. The contract is specifically a $5MM deal for the 2024 season and then a minimum $5MM player option for 2025 that Kershaw will presumably exercise. As per the terms of the contract, Kershaw earned an extra $2.5MM in 2024 salary, and an extra $5MM on his player option, so he’ll now bank another $10MM by picking up his player option. It is possible Kershaw and the Dodgers could work out an extension of some kind to lock in that salary and tack on another option for 2026, to give both sides flexibility should Kershaw want to keep pitching for yet another season.
Though Kershaw could still find himself with a World Series ring in a few weeks’ time, it isn’t surprising that he isn’t considering ending his career on the low note of a 30-inning season. He even had a 2.63 ERA in his first five starts before allowing eight runs over his last six innings pitched, presumably when the returned discomfort from his toe started to impact his performance. If Kershaw can remain as healthy as possible for a 37-year-old pitcher with his injury history, it isn’t hard to imagine that he can still deliver quality production.
After struggling through a mountain of pitching injuries this season, the Dodgers technically have a full staff worth of options for 2025, even if every available arm has some degree of health concerns. As noted by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated over the weekend that the team may use a six-man rotation in order to help keep everyone healthy, and to provide more rest for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto specifically. Ohtani didn’t pitch in 2024 due to UCL surgery and naturally has the added workload of his DH duties, while the Dodgers have been keeping Yamamoto on the Japan-like schedule of pitching with at least five days of rest.
Between that duo and Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow missed the end of the season and the playoffs due to an elbow strain, Tony Gonsolin didn’t pitch in 2024 while recovering from a Tommy John surgery, and Dustin May didn’t pitch in 2024 due to recoveries from a pair of arm procedures in July 2023 and then a throat surgery in July of this year. Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, and prospect Jackson Ferris are other arms that figure to be part of the rotation mix. It also stands to reason that L.A. will surely add another pitcher or two this offseason to help safeguard this group against any further injury hits.
Im selfish, I want him to finish as a Dodger and get 3000 strikeouts. He’s a first-ballot no doubt Hall of Fame pitcher, but it’d be nice to have him go down with one team and as a member of the 3K Club.
you’re selfish? Kershaw is the selfish one
He’s done being able to help the team
He’s still better than a ton of starting pitchers who will be playing next year.
If he can actually pitch, maybe that will be right. I think a great deal of those will be in a much lower salary though.
Hang it up and wait for the call in 5 years.
If you were Mookie’s boy, you’d be smarter.
What do you want them to sit around the house at 37? What their personal life entails is really none of any of our business.
Boy – He’s only 36, and he’s made 46 starts with a 2.35 ERA over the past two years.
Did you just start following baseball or something?
Apparently you know nothing about Kershaw.
Thanks for your input Doctor boy.
That’s funny when you mention ‘girlfriend’ in the singular as if they have a ‘home’ wife & a ‘road’ wife or gf. Of course I don’t know Kershaw’s situation, but he comes across as a loyal family man to me, but I would bet you many of these guys have their favorite groupies in every city on the road; so it definitely wouldn’t be ‘girlfriend in the singular’ lol. There are books written about these shenanigans (think Led Zeppelin or The Doors on a summer tour) so if you never want to be let down by the moral failings of your favorite ball player, I would stay away.
I know a lot of things I can’t tell from guys I played with in the minors, and SOB is closer to the mark. I can’t imagine the majors are any different and probably worse with the egos involved.
Kershaw is selfish if he plays another year at a 5 million dollar salary? That is a nothing dollar amount for what Kershaw could offer
– It’s 10 million now for the player option but yeah, I agree with that part for sure.
Yeah, but who will be a sucker enough to pay him?
5M player option dodgers are already picking it up. Read the article!!
Reading is tough.
Dodgers….
I’m sorry
Clayton needs to read the tea leaves. They’re saying “you had a great run but the body’s done”
Who is living in his body, you?
C’mon, let’s at least pretend to check the stats here. The last time he made it through a full season was 2019.
And he was very good when he pitched between 2019-2023. Not a great case you’re making in pointing at those years to prove that he’s done
Not me doing all the pretending.
let’s at least pretend to check the stats here.
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In the three previous years, he ranked #67 in IPs. And at that level of IPs, he ranked #3 in ERA.
So, if you could get his average production from 2021-23, you wouldn’t pay $10M for that?
The Dodgers are not paying $10M, they’re paying at the highest luxury tax tier so almost double that. How much are you willing to risk on a starter who has been hurt four years in a row, including shoulder surgery, in his age 37 season, and has averaged 5.1 IP per start over that time? Risk of injury increases with age. See also: Verlander.
A 36 year-old intending to pitch next year? Never have I heard of such a thing!! Or at least it seems some people on here have never heard of such a thing.
How can he pitch when he’s on the Disabled List 99.9% of the season
That’s still pitching 0.1% of the time..
More then most the Dodgers employ.
Math is tough
Nice how the possibility of resigning Buehler was glossed over.
Because it probably doesn’t happen.
MLBTR’s parade of trolls march on.
Right. If he does well in the next start and he gets another and locks in. The dodgers should consider a show me contract.
Sorry what?
Need to build pitchers up so the can throw 300-400 innings a season. Then you don’t need minor league fodder pitching for you throughout the season.
Miss the days of guys like Ed Walsh and Old Hoss Radbourn.
oldyorkie has his phone while in the blue medical tent…again.
@paddyo furnichuh
You seem triggered by a random statement. Strange…
“Old” York is actually in his mid-thirties, but you didn’t hear that from me. Maybe he means ‘old’ as in he has an “old” soul.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b
I’m 134 years old. At least that’s what my birth certificate says.
Yea I know when the avg FB was like 80mph. I’m sure Greg Maddux could of pitched 10 more years had he thrown 80
Hendricks from the Cubs would dominate 100 years ago over those 2. I’d say David Wells would also. There’s a reason why you can throw 400 inn a year is because you’re over worked and don’t throw hard. There’s a difference between pitching against top players vs below avg talent. If they were that dominant then they would K way more batters especially being closer to home plate and drunk Umps lol
Of course you miss those days Old York.
I miss the days of Wilbur Wood and Mickey Lolich. Not to mention Bob Gibson who suffers a broken leg, comes back less than two months later and dominates in the World Series. When men were real men.
So you’re not a real man anymore?
dodgers will need to spend another $1 billion dollars in starting pitching next year.
if they do not win WS this year, they will spend it.
And they’ll make more in Jersey Sales and tickets lol. Who cares they like to win. Don’t hate on em
There is a non-zero chance that if the Dodgers don’t advance to the WS it will be Andrew Friedman out on his a$%.
You might want to check on the unusal terms of Ohtani’s contract before assuming such a thing. Basically they gave Friedman ultimate job security, because if he leaves, Ohtani can opt out.
Not to mention defer 90 percent of it.
It’s the at least 200 million more than anyone else in local TV money that is the big difference.
Why not come back? If LA is gonna give him millions for a few starts, might as well.
Love Kershaw and hope he stays in the game as long as he’s able to be competitive. And that’s coming from a Giants fan.
Dude needs to cut back on the drinking and get the gout under control.
My wife said he needs to lay off deli meats.
I can see him being a Boar’s Head enthusiast.
That listeria though…
$5m option – Kershaw could easily get more especially with incentives in the open market.
Dodgers at $5m are getting him on the cheap. There are many pitchers stealing the bank but not Kershaw.
even with Kershaw a 5 inning pitcher – he can still deliver at least like a very good #4 and can be a good #3 next year.
It’s a $10M option, though the wording in the article doesn’t make it all that clear.
Less than what Robbie Ray will make. Id take Kershaw over Ray lol
The kickers were dependent on him being healthy at the end of 2024, which he wasn’t. Making 7 starts this year gets him to $10 million so I imagine the Dodgers will just give that to him, but it’s a complicated contract for sure.
I look at this from a rotisserie perspective. I won’t draft him high, but he is certainly worth drafting. He’s been around 17 years, and only last was the one time he wasn’t worth drafting.
So I’d gladly make a wager that he is worth the $10M he’ll be getting.
2025 Kershaw might be worth the 2024 version of Big Maple. I believe Paxton earned around 10 mil this last season I think. Would you say Kershaw is at least as injury prone as Paxton in 2024?
I have more faith in Kershaw’s health. He’s had 14/15 consecutive seasons (x-Covid) with at least 121 IPs prior to 2024. And 2024 ended with a toe injury.
But more importantly, Kershaw is a quality pitcher. A healthy Paxton might/probably still wouldn’t achieve a 4.00. So the top side might be 120-130 innings of a #3.
The upside of Kershaw is probably 120 IPs with a 3.50 or better ERA.
He’s earned the right to try again. He’s close enough to 3000k to warrant. If he’s healthy who knows maybe next year with all the rest his arm bounces back and he goes off. Worth a shot.
Good!
Good for Kershaw!
Kershaw needs 32 more strikeouts to get to 3000 so I figure he is going to need at least 40 innings pitched to get there…I hope he does and I am nowhere close to being a Dodgers fan.
It’s all about stats. He wants 3,000 strikeouts. That’s the whole idea behind this. Maybe he can talk the Dodgers into signing Greinke for a year and they can get 3K together.
Even if he threw the Roger Beshens Football Slider half the time, it’s time to ride off in the sunset.
The Dodgers throw the Roger Beshens Football Slider, that record 30 some innings never would have happened. Why do they have all the injuries, Who’s teaching that special non traditional slider wrong? The routines or the tilt, or weighted balls, or lack of rest. The physical therapists would be without a job if a pitcher threw a 100 pitches and told them to rest for one day.
After a pitcher is built up for the start of the season, throw a 100 pitches rest 2 days, lob the 3rd and ready. Tell the PT to take a hike. That lactic acid thing is a joke, When Ryan, Guidry, Carlton threw 160 pitches you don’t touch a ball for 3 days. Everyone was fine.
I don’t think there’s enough history to tell if it is a weighted ball program that is hurting arms but it’s worth looking into. Something changed Ps got more velocity but @what price, more delicate than ever.
Who’s going to implement a program to do look into weighted balls? Not the pitching schools or companies pushing it.
If I owned the Dbacks I would get Kyle Nelson, Kelly, Jarvis, Walston, Mena, and Ryne Nelson and ask them why did they get injured, you do this enough times and within the organization answers will be clear if its a pitch, routine…..Once the arm is built up I believe in Rest, Rest never got anyone injured. I threw over 150+ all out a game for years, I didn’t touch a ball until the 3rd day and I preferred pitching on the 5 th day. I could relieve the 3rd day and start the 4th no problem. I got great arm speed by throwing tennis and pinkie balls against the wall. Arm speed for a pitcher should be measured it’s a valuable asset.
The cutter and slider pitch probably cause the most injuries. It isn’t the FB, CU CH. Anytime a ball is held off center or not a 90 degree tilt, on the side that has to be more vulnerable on the arm. If someone just throws fastballs, how are they going to hurt their arm? If someone throws 100 fastballs or any type pitches and doesn’t rest the arm fully that’s just not smart.
There should be PT’s that pitched they would understand.
Posting the same thing from multiple accounts won’t get you extra recognition.
Roger Beshensg gets lots of recognition. The latest him and Strom in the Dbacks clubhouse May 23 2024. Video and pictures of Roger showing techniques to his Football Slider.
So, What are you talking about?
I would never tell a guy to quit before he wants to, if he has that option. 99 percent have that decision made for them.
Of course. Back to d*ddy for one more shot at finally getting that easy legit ring, which he’s never won. Join the super team. How many years do we have to put up with him? I’m convinced he’s staying just to try and maintain some pathetic semblance of the Dodgers being an organization that develops its players (even though he’s re-signed as a high-priced FA a zillion times) instead of the pathetic desperate clowns they are trying to buy their entire roster, throwing superstar after superstar at the problem to bring their fair weather city its first baseball parade since 1988.
God bless Clayton Kershaw. He is in his late 30s and he still wants to go to work. I am in my early 40s hoping to miraculously find a pot of gold so I can retire.
Could really use Kersh right now, even if it was only 3inn version of em. Getn ugly fast w/Dodgers available startn pitching. Stockpiled starting pitchers all offseason n still run out of em. Losing Stone hurt bad. Majority of kid Ps that filled in did well, Just injury after injury. Let’s Go Dodgers !
Niekro floater
Could really use Kersh right now,
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This is what I don’t understand about the LAD fans that don’t want Kershaw back. With their rotation and injuries, they are somewhat desperate for Kershaw’s services.
If he could give them 90 innings of his usual production, no Dodger fan should care if he misses the remainder of the year.
You could approach 100 fans at random at Dodger Stadium and not find a single one who wouldn’t want to see Kershaw back on the mound next season for however many innings he can throw. The nonsense you hear in these comments is not a true reflection of the views of Dodger fans.
LOL! I always said the same thing about Fenway. The 33,000 that attend regularly could give you a dissertation about the RS. The casual fans, no so very much.
It’s one of the reasons I play rotisserie. When you have a few quid on the line, it makes no difference how much you love or hate a player. Only the numbers count.
And while it won’t be very high, I am definitely drafting Kershaw.
You’re absolutely right BlueSkies – this place is not a good gauge of actual fans.
He’s 32K’s from 3000 career K’s. He needs to join that club. He’s an all of fame pitcher no matter what, but put the cherry on top. Next season he’ll get 32 K’s and he’ll ride off into the sunset. Sign that cheap contract and do what you have to do