Breaking: Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Exits Game With Toe Injury In Second Inning

J.P. Hoornstra | Aug 30, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after pitching change in the second inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was removed from Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an injury in the second inning.

Kershaw left immediately after allowing a home run to Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll to bring the Dbacks within 5-3.

According to the Dodgers, Kershaw was removed with left big toe pain. If that's the extent of his woes, consider it a bullet dodged.

The optics of the injury were certainly much worse.

Kershaw was touching 89-91 mph with his fastball in the first inning. The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the inning, on a double by Geraldo Perdomo, an RBI single by Josh Bell, and a sacrifice fly by Eugenio Suarez that scored Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

In the second inning, Kershaw threw only two pitches: an 87-mph fastball and a 67-mph curveball to Carroll. One of only three left-handed batters ever to hit a home run against Kershaw's curveball (in last year's postseason), Carroll did it again, hooking a deep fly ball inside the right-field foul pole for a solo homer.

Afterward, Kershaw left the mound with Dodgers head athletic trainer Thomas Albert and headed straight down the dugout tunnel leading to the visitor's clubhouse.

Corbin Carroll homers and Clayton Kershaw immediately exits the game with trainers after only 27 pitches pic.twitter.com/mxBs9qOUGl

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 31, 2024

Joe Kelly took over for Kershaw in the second inning.

Ever since he returned from his minor league rehabilitation assignment in July, Kershaw has been integral to the Dodgers' starting rotation. He's had a couple rocky outings in his first seven starts: seven runs allowed in 3.2 innings in San Diego on July 31, and five runs allowed in five innings last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Overall, however, Kershaw's 17th major league season offered more than a few glimmers of hope that he could continue to pitch into October for an injury-riddled Dodgers pitching staff.

In six starts prior to Friday, Kershaw was 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA. He's walked only eight hitters and struck out 24 in 29 innings.

The Dodgers' projected number-1 and number-2 starters, Tyler Glasnow (elbow) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (rotator cuff) are on the injured list. Number-3 starter Bobby Miller is working back from an early season injury and, more recently, a bout of ineffectiveness (7.25 ERA in 10 starts). Rookies Gavin Stone and Landon Knack have been arguably the team's most consistent starters when healthy.

Other than trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty (1-1, 3.49 ERA in five starts), Kershaw offered the best combination of postseason experience, effectiveness and health of any Dodgers starter. Until Friday.

A three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw is 212-94 with a 2.49 ERA in 431 career games, all with the Dodgers. The 36-year-old has made 10 All-Star teams in a major league career that began in 2008. His 156 Adjusted ERA+ is fourth all-time.