Clayton Kershaw's Road to Recovery Hits a Snag
Dodgers left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw has encountered an unexpected setback in his recovery process following shoulder surgery last November. The surgery aimed to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder. Despite initial progress, Kershaw has been temporarily shut down due to "lingering soreness" after just one rehab start.
The Recovery Process
After successfully completing a three-inning, 36-pitch outing in his first rehab start, Kershaw had been scheduled for a second rehab appearance on Tuesday. However, this plan has been derailed. The veteran pitcher will now refrain from throwing for at least a week before attempting to ramp back up. An MRI has fortunately revealed no new incidents, suggesting that this might be a temporary hurdle in his road to full recovery.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on the situation, stating, "This is part of the process as far as anyone that goes through rehab, that goes through a surgery, and is on his way back." He added, "It's not surprising. It's not perfect, but it's not surprising in the fact that there is a little bit of a regression in the throwing process."
Rehabilitation Goals
For Kershaw to make a successful return to the big-league roster, the Dodgers have specific benchmarks in mind. He would need to demonstrate the capability to finish at least five innings and throw around 75 pitches. As of now, the best-case scenario for his return appears to be sometime in August. The team is undoubtedly hoping for his timely comeback to bolster a pitching staff that has been plagued by injuries this season.
Injury Woes for the Dodgers
The Dodgers' pitching staff has been a revolving door of injuries this year. Walker Buehler started the season on the injured list, and Bobby Miller recently endured a lengthy stint on it as well. The injury troubles don’t stop there. Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin have yet to pitch this year, remaining on the injured list. Most recently, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was also added to the list of injured pitchers. Despite these setbacks, the Dodgers have managed to maintain an impressive record.
Current Standings
As of Monday, the Dodgers hold a 48-31 record and lead the NL West by 8.5 games. This cushion in the standings affords the team some leeway, but it is clear that having Kershaw back on the mound would provide both a practical and psychological lift for the team as they move deeper into the second half of the season.
The Path Forward
Kershaw's situation underscores the unpredictable nature of recovery from significant surgery, particularly for a pitcher. While the absence of new incidents as revealed by the MRI is a positive sign, "lingering soreness" is a concern that requires careful management. Both the team and its fans can take some solace in the depth and talent of the roster, which has managed to perform admirably despite the spate of injuries.
For now, both Kershaw and the Dodgers will have to endure a bit more waiting and watching. The hope remains that this cornerstone of the Dodgers' pitching staff can soon return to form and contribute to what has the potential to be a memorable season.