The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for the return of their long-serving player. Left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw will be activated from the injured list and is set to start this Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium, as announced by the team on Tuesday. This will mark the first day Kershaw is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list.
Kershaw, aged 37, underwent surgeries for his knee and toe shortly after the Dodgers clinched the World Series last fall. He has yet to pitch this season, having completed five minor league rehab starts, with notable performances including allowing two runs in four innings during a Triple-A game last Sunday. Overall, Kershaw yielded six runs in 21 innings across his rehab outings with 16 strikeouts and five walks.
Statcast shows that Kershaw’s fastball has been clocked in the upper-80s during these rehab games, averaging 87.7 mph, having peaked at 89.1 mph last Sunday, which is a decline from his 89.9 mph average last season in the big leagues. Although adrenaline will likely come into play during his 2025 debut, he faces a smaller margin for error given his current velocity.
Alongside Kershaw, the Dodgers have eight starting pitchers currently on the major league injured list. Their depth chart includes:
- Shohei Ohtani (rehabbing from elbow surgery)
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Blake Snell (out with shoulder inflammation)
- Tyler Glasnow (out with shoulder inflammation)
- Clayton Kershaw (making season debut Saturday)
- Roki Sasaki
- Dustin May
- Tony Gonsolin
- Gavin Stone (will miss 2025 with shoulder surgery)
- Landon Knack
- Bobby Miller
- Justin Wrobleski
- River Ryan (will miss 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
- Emmet Sheehan (will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
- Kyle Hurt (will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
Glasnow has resumed throwing and may begin bullpen sessions soon, while Snell is scheduled for a checkup with his doctor. Ohtani is slowly being brought back into pitching, but there is no set timetable for him to face hitters in a game.
The Dodgers, despite their $400 million payroll, have cycled through 11 different starting pitchers across 41 games, which is more than any other team. This strategy aligns with their focus on being well-prepared for the postseason, ensuring their decisions reflect the larger goal of performing at their best come October.
Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young award winner, is inching closer to a significant career milestone with 2,968 career strikeouts, just shy of joining the exclusive 3,000 strikeout club, alongside left-handed legends like Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, and CC Sabathia.
As the Dodgers head into their game on Tuesday, they currently hold the best record in baseball at 27-14.
