Shoulder Injury to Keep Los Angeles Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Out Until August

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was already on the 15-day injured list, but doctors advised he take extra time off to heal following an MRI.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw will remain out until early August, the veteran told reporters Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day, manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio that Kershaw would miss at least a few more weeks.

Kershaw has been on the injured list with left shoulder soreness since June 30.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner said he feels fine, but that he got an MRI right before the All-Star break and doctors have since told him the injury needed more time to heal. Head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache gave Kershaw the medical advice.

Kershaw has not started more than 22 games in a single season since 2019, and he has broken 30 since 2015.

The 35-year-old was leading the National League in ERA at 2.55 before the break, and he has spent most of this season with top-five betting odds to take home another NL Cy Young trophy. In the month of June alone, Kershaw had a 1.09 ERA and 0.879 WHIP across five starts – all of which were at least 6.0 innings.

Los Angeles was already down several starters before Kershaw got hurt.

Walker Buehler had Tommy John surgery last August and has yet to pitch in 2023. Ryan Pepiot has been on the 60-Day IL ever since he strained his left oblique at the end of spring training finale. Noah Syndergaard has been on the 15-Day IL with a right finger blister since June 8. Dustin May is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow on Tuesday, potentially ending his season.

Pepiot is starting his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City this weekend, though, giving him a chance to join Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove in Los Angeles' starting rotation in the near future.

The Dodgers are currently 51-38, tied for first place in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The San Francisco Giants are also only 2.5 games behind them.

Los Angeles starts the second half of its season Friday night on the road against the New York Mets. That game, which will be broadcast by Apple TV+, will start at 7:10 p.m.

Urias, Gonsolin and Miller are the probable starters for the three-game series.

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