Could Injury to Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Mean His Career is Over?

Kershaw will not return this season.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday that Clayton Kershaw is out for the season because of his toe injury. Kershaw sustained a toe injury during the Dodgers' Aug. 30 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching one inning before he was removed from the game. Kershaw landed on the injured list the following day because of a bone spur in his toe and has remained on the IL since.

Roberts said Saturday that Kershaw's toe was not progressing, which ultimately led to Kershaw getting ruled out for the season. Kershaw had been left off the team's 26-man roster for the NLDS, before Robers then saying that Kershaw will not return at all this postseason.

“Clayton has done everything he can to keep this thing moving forward and giving himself a chance to participate in the postseason,” Roberts said, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “But where he’s at right now, physically, the foot, the toe just is not cooperating. It’s actually getting worse.”

After beginning the season late because of offseason shoulder surgery, Kershaw started seven games for the Dodgers. He went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts.

The return of Kershaw was far from guaranteed, but the Dodgers' rotation has taken hit after hit this year. Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone will also not return for the postseason, leaving the team with only Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Landon Knack, and Walker Buehler as starters on their NLDS roster.

Yamamoto, one of the clear top two starters of the hampered rotation, started Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday but allowed five earned runs. The Dodgers managed to pull out the win thanks to a strong performance from the lineup and bullpen. If the team advances, they will hope to get a better start of Yamamoto, otherwise the team might have to rely heavily on their relievers.

The question for Kershaw will be if he decides to return for another season. The 36-year-old is approaching retirement but has yet to make a decision regarding his future. If Kershaw does return, he has a player option for the 2025 season. He plans to make the decision at some point after the postseason ends.