Clayton Kershaw has yet to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a Cactus League game this spring, but that is nothing to worry about.
Kershaw was ramping up to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but after failing to secure the required insurance, he had to back out of the tournament. Following that decision, Kershaw took a step back from his buildup to avoid being too far ahead of schedule for the regular season.
The decision had nothing to do with the veteran’s health, and he continued to throw bullpen sessions, which went well. Kershaw recently advanced to facing Mookie Betts and Will Smith in live batting practice.
On Sunday, Kershaw started against the Chicago White Sox in a B game, and said he came out of it mostly happy with the results, SportsNet LA:
“Facing another team is always good. It wasn’t awesome, but everything felt healthy. Fastball and curveball were actually decent, just my slider wasn’t there. Overall, for a B game at 10:15, I’ll take it.”
The main concern for the Dodgers is keeping Kershaw healthy as he has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few seasons, and they have no reason to rush him to be ready.
He should make his next appearance in a Cactus League game, which would likely come Friday against the Los Angeles Angels, or Saturday during one of the split-squad games against the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
The matchup on Friday would be five days from Kershaw’s B game appearance, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said he is on a five-day routine.
The southpaw finished the 2022 season going 12-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 22 starts, and he should once again be an important part of the club’s rotation.
Adam Wainwright wanted to play with Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw needing to withdraw from the Team USA roster not only took another notable pitcher off their staff, but it left Adam Wainwright disappointed as he was looking forward to being teammates in the World Baseball Classic.
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