Clayton Kershaw's Injury Isn't 'Common' According to Dodgers' Andrew Friedman

Valentina Martinez | Sep 7, 2024

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) delivers a pitch on Aug. 30, 2024 at Chase Field in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Los Angeles Dodgers veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw has no timeline for a return to the mound, according to Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations.

“He’s still trying to figure out the best way to provide relief [for his toe], and figuring that out is challenging," Friedman told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times. “There’s not a playbook for that ... it’s just not a common [injury].”

The veteran southpaw exited the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a bone spur on his left big toe on Aug. 30.

Kershaw informed manager Dave Roberts in the first inning of the rivalry matchup about the pain in his push-off foot. Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly was already warming up in the bullpen when Kershaw gave up a solo home run to Corbin Caroll. The former Cy Young winner was then pulled from the game and potentially could've tossed his last pitch of the 2024 season.

Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the status of Kershaw following his departure from the game.

“It’s a bone spur. It’s obviously not good. There’s swelling. There’s pain. He’s doing everything he can to kind of get through,” Roberts said postgame. “Some starts it feels fine and it’s not impeding. Today certainly it was. He just — he had nothing. No legs today obviously. Then you start worrying about how it could affect his arm. There was just no other alternative but to take him out of that second inning after the [Corbin] Caroll at-bat. We’re going to see how he comes in tomorrow. We got somebody coming, just potentially if it is an IL situation.”

Kershaw was on the injured list earlier this season because of a shoulder injury. He only returned from the injured list list in late June.

The Dodgers rotation is extremely short-handed. Rookie Gavin Stone is the most recent pitcher to land on the injured list. Stone is set to make a 15-day stint due to shoulder inflammation.

He was the only starting pitcher to remain healthy this far into the season. Jack Flaherty is the only starter remaining from the original group that was slated to make up the October rotation.

Kershaw, Stone, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all currently on the injured. It's the worst possible scenario for the Dodgers who are in the middle of a close National League West division race.

The San Diego Padres are four games behind the Dodgers following the 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians Friday night.