Report: Dodgers Bringing Clayton Kershaw Back for 2022 Season

The left-hander is returning to Los Angeles for another year in Dodger blue.

Clayton Kershaw is returning to Los Angeles.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports Kershaw is signing a one-year contract with the Dodgers for the 2022 season.

Free-agent left-hander Clayton Kershaw is in agreement with the Dodgers on a one-year deal, pending a physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 11, 2022

Kershaw has spent his entire career with the Dodgers organization and has been a mainstay in the starting rotation since 2008. In his 14 seasons with the team, Kershaw has made 379 appearances and compiled a 2.79 ERA in that span. He had just finished a three-year, $93 million contract before hitting free agency.

Kershaw won three Cy Young Awards between 2011 and ’14 and had an ERA under 3.00 every year between ’08 and ’17.

In 2021, Kershaw dealt with an elbow injury that cost him a chance to pitch in the postseason. Rosenthal reports Kershaw said he is “slightly behind” where he normally is in the spring because of the injury.

Kershaw missed the postseason in 2021 with an elbow issue. He told @ByMcCullough today that he is healthy, but slightly behind where he normally is at this time of year. https://t.co/y7cKPrYsv7

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 11, 2022

The lefty returns to a strong Dodgers rotation that will likely also feature Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin, as well as Andrew Heaney, who was signed earlier in the offseason. The team also employs Trevor Bauer, whose status for this season is still uncertain.

This signing comes just hours after the Giants added star lefthander Carlos Rodón earlier on Friday. The two teams finished with the two best records in baseball last year.