Clayton Kershaw May Not Be Back for Dodgers Playoffs After All

Maren Angus-Coombs | 9 Hours Ago

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Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes gave a brief update regarding left-handed starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday.

He isn't any closer to facing hitters.

More updates from Brandon Gomes:

- Freddie Freeman will face live pitching this week as he continues to rehab his sprained ankle.
- Clayton Kershaw isn’t any closer to facing hitters.
- Haven’t decided if they’ll go 13 hitters/13 pitchers.
- Flaherty Game 1, Yamamoto Game 2.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 2, 2024

Kershaw, who has been sidelined since Aug. 30 due to what the Dodgers have labeled a bone spur in his toe, had recently halted mound work. The pain he experiences when pushing off the rubber has caused him to adjust his mechanics, resulting in additional problems.

"There's only a percentage I can throw without other stuff starting to bother me because I'm throwing differently," Kershaw said on Thursday. "Whenever my toe feels better, I'm confident that I'll be good."

Kershaw's rehab went into a "holding pattern" on Sept. 26 and seems to remain there with Gomes' update.

"I'm not giving up," Kershaw said Thursday. "I'm going to keep trying every day. Maybe it'll feel better one day. I'm just waiting for that day to happen."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knew before making the roster decisions for the National League Division Series that the left-handed starter wouldn't be ready. In fact, he thought he was still a couple of weeks away.

"And then we'll see what that looks like as far as our playoff push," Roberts said. "You still got to build up, you still got to throw a 'pen, you still got to face hitters. Right now, he's just playing light catch, so, I don't know. I don't know."

Kershaw has been working diligently, even throwing an 80-plus pitch bullpen session while the Dodgers were in Miami last week. The 36-year-old left-hander mentioned that he managed to get on the mound one or two more times after the team returned home last Friday, but he is currently limited to playing catch.

"I feel like it's progressing," Kershaw said of his toe. "It's just been obviously not as fast as I had hoped."

Kershaw has explored various methods to maintain his arm strength while his toe heals, including lengthy sessions on flat ground, using a portable ramp, and experimenting with different angles on a pitching rubber.

However, the latter has remained problematic for him. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed shoulder surgery on Kershaw last offseason, recently assured him that his toe wouldn’t need surgery, just some time to recover.

Unfortunately, time is not on Kershaw's side.

"My arm I'm keeping going as best as I can," Kershaw said. "I really think when my toe's better, I think I'll be ready to pitch. Just need to get to at least close to 100 percent so I can throw normal."