The Opener: Kershaw, Tigers, Imanaga

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Kershaw on the cusp of 3,000 strikeouts:

Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw is a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He’s now seven starts into his 2025 campaign, and in that time he’s pitched to a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of work despite a strikeout rate of just 17.6%. That low strikeout rate has become the norm for the 37-year-old in recent years, but it hasn’t stopped him from challenging for one of the most coveted milestones for a starting pitcher. The southpaw currently sits at 2,992 strikeouts for his career, meaning that he’s just eight away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000. With a vintage performance against the Rockies at Coors Field later today, he’d have the opportunity to add that milestone to his legacy. Kershaw and Rockies southpaw Austin Gomber (8.38 ERA in two starts) are scheduled to take the mound at 1:10pm local time this afternoon. Kershaw hasn’t topped seven strikeouts in a start this season, but the Rockies’ 27.5% team strikeout rate against lefties is the second-highest mark in MLB.

2. Tigers 40-man move incoming:

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Tigers would be adding southpaw Dietrich Enns to the roster ahead of today’s game. The 34-year-old last appeared in the majors in 2021, when he posted a 2.82 ERA in 22 1/3 frames for the Rays. He has a 2.89 ERA in 14 Triple-A starts for the Toledo Mud Hens this year after signing a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason, and now he’ll get the opportunity to face the A’s and southpaw Jeffrey Springs (4.24 ERA) at 1:10pm local time in Detroit. Before that can happen, the Tigers will need to make a corresponding move to create 40-man roster space. That could come by way of an injured player heading to the 60-day injured list or Detroit brass working out a trade, but since Detroit doesn’t have an obvious 60-day IL candidate, the most likely outcome is a player being designated for assignment.

3. Imanaga to return:

It’s been almost two months since southpaw Shota Imanaga went down with a hamstring strain, and while the Cubs have managed to go 26-19 without his help in the rotation, the cracks have begun to show in recent weeks. While Matthew Boyd has pitched like a front-of-the-rotation arm in his first healthy season in half a decade and Cade Horton has done admirable work in his rookie campaign so far, the rest of the rotation has scuffled.

Ben Brown was recently optioned after getting torched to a 7.65 ERA across his last seven starts. Colin Rea has a 5.92 ERA in nine starts since Imanaga went down. Even typically steady veteran Jameson Taillon has a 5.86 ERA in June after back-to-back blow up starts. Imanaga, who had a 2.82 ERA in eight starts this year before going on the injured list, will look to help stop the bleeding in the rotation and turn the Cubs’ rotation around. His first opportunity to do so will come against the Cardinals and right-hander Andre Pallante (4.48 ERA) later today in a game scheduled for 1:15pm local time.