Clayton Kershaw returned to the mound on Thursday after a long break.
The Dodgers activated him from the 60-day injured list before his game against the Giants. During his start, he allowed two runs on six hits and two walks over four innings, all while being held to a pitch count. “I’m excited to get back,” Kershaw said. “It’s been a long time. Longest time I’ve ever spent not pitching in a big-league game.”
Kershaw struck out six batters in his debut, leaving him just 50 strikeouts shy of reaching 3,000 for his career. He will join an elite group of left-handed pitchers once he achieves this milestone.
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In this game, Kershaw threw more sliders than fastballs, which is typical for him. His fastball reached speeds up to 91.8 mph, consistent with last year’s performance. The Giants managed to score their two runs during the third inning with four consecutive hits . Other than that brief stretch, he looked solid on the mound.
Dodgers’ Pitching Situation:
Kershaw’s return is timely for the Dodgers as they deal with multiple injuries among their starters: Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all on the injured list. Kyle Hurt also underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week.
Fans might think it’s great timing for Kershaw’s comeback given these circumstances.
Currently, the Dodgers’ rotation includes Tyler Glasnow and rookies River Ryan, Gavin Stone (who has been consistently reliable), and Justin Wrobleski. Bobby Miller and Landon Knack are available as backup options in Triple-A.
Los Angeles holds a strong position with a 61-42 record and leads by 7 1/2 games in the NL West. Last year Kershaw had an impressive regular season but struggled in his NLDS start.
What do you think about Kershaw’s return?
