Oklahoma City's Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Tacoma Rainiers at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

 "I think everybody was surprised. It's sad. Barnesy is one of my best friends on and off the field. You won't find a guy that competes better than Austin Barnes. He wants to win more than anybody. He always found a way, he came up in some big moments for us throughout the years. I think a lot of people forget he was starting a lot of playoff games and winning a lot of games for us with big knocks. It's sad to see someone like that go, who's been here for so long. I think we all kind of feel it. It's no disrespect to Dalton. I know he deserves it and is going to be a great player. It's just for me personally and for a lot of guys on the team, it was disappointing to see him go."

So it's clear the decision weighed heavily on the three-time CY Young's mind, who is also 32 strikeouts away from the 3,000 mark. 

Kershaw's return couldn't be coming at a better time, as so many Dodger pitchers are dealing with injuries, and some stability is a strong need for the Los Angeles rotation. If pitchers stay on the Injured List longer than expected, and Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound continues to be prolonged, Kershaw will have a strong chance to reach that huge milestone this year.