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Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw gets 100% real on not pitching in World Series

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints | By Alex House | Last updated Oct 29, 2024 8:00 PM ET

When Clayton Kershaw helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 2020, he was denied the privilege of celebrating the moment in front of fans. Now, with the Boys in Blue one win away from claiming their seventh title since moving to LA, the future Hall of Famer is forced to watch from the sidelines as his club tries to finish off the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

He is not sulking, however. Kershaw is making the best of his injury-ravaged 2024 season and enjoying the magnificent show his teammates are putting on this October.

“Obviously, you want to be playing and be with the boys, but it’s been really fun honestly (cheering on the Dodgers),” the 2014 National League MVP and three-time Cy Young told MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk.” “Basically just being a kid, being in Yankee Stadium for a World Series game with a front row seat… I’m just super thankful that I get to be a part of it. They’re letting me travel, hang out, be with the boys. I’m having a great time.”

Considering Kershaw’s status as a Dodgers all-time great and one of the best left-handed pitchers to ever step on an MLB mound, the least the organization can do is allow the banged-up 36-year-old to bask in a potentially historic moment. He is not exuding entitlement, though, nor is he taking for granted any of this Fall Classic experience. Kershaw knows what everyone else knows. This could be his last opportunity to get a ring.

It's been really fun honestly. Basically just being a kid, being in Yankee Stadium for a #WorldSeries game with a front row seat."@ClaytonKersh22 joins IT ahead of Game 4 to talk about what his role has been like during this Postseason.@Dempster46 | @SieraSantos pic.twitter.com/PqEsAhamSl

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 29, 2024

The road to the World Series should have plenty of obstacles in 2025

Although the 10-time All-Star unsurprisingly intends to play next season with the Dodgers, it is tough to predict how the NL landscape will look in 2025. Yes, LA is likely to remain in title contention, as it often is, but there will be a slew of capable clubs standing in its path.

The Philadelphia Phillies are still loaded, the Atlanta Braves are a prime bounce-back candidate, the San Diego Padres will have something to prove and the New York Mets could have a scintillating mix of established stars and budding ones. Despite the Dodgers reaching the World Series in four of the last eight years, going the distance in the Senior Circuit might be harder than ever.

Their pitching staff will logically be much more robust in 2025. Clayton Kershaw is one of several hurlers who are expected to return from the injured list. He missed the first four months of the campaign recovering from shoulder surgery and then suffered a season-ending bone spur in late-August. When No. 22 was active, the results were mixed– 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Even if Kershaw’s struggles continue into next year, his Los Angeles legacy is cemented. His name will not be associated with a possible 2024 championship win, but the franchise and its fans will gladly rejoice for him just the same. Will his fun role as the supporter and “cheerleader” culminate in the ultimate triumph for the Dodgers?

History suggests as much, but they will look to make it official versus the Yankees on Tuesday night. Game 4 is due to begin at 8:08 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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