admin“All good, Felt fine.”
That’s what LA Dodgers Clayton Kershaw said after throwing his first bullpen session since injuring his shoulder on 19 September (ET).
Manager Dave Roberts beamed with satisfaction after receiving a report from pitching coach Mark Prior on Kershaw’s bullpen performance.
“I talked to the pitching coach and he said he was very pleased (with the bullpen). “He threw about 30 pitches and he went through all of his pitches and pitched pretty hard,” Roberts said, “so it went well. I’ll see how my body responds tomorrow and take the next step. It’s definitely going in a good direction.”
Kershaw left his start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on 28 June after six innings when he felt something wrong with his left shoulder. He had pitched a perfect six innings of one-hit ball at the time.
An MRI before the All-Star break indicated that he shouldn’t touch the ball for “two to three weeks,” so Kershaw was cautiously throwing out of the bullpen that day.
“He needs a little more time,” Roberts said. Right now, it looks like (his return) will be in early August. That’s tentative,” Roberts said.
Kershaw is expected to throw two more bullpen sessions before going live. Roberts doesn’t think a minor league rehab start is necessary. “The most important thing is that he’s pain-free,” he said. “The most important thing is that there’s no soreness at all, and he’s following the doctor’s orders,” Roberts said. “I think it’s good to continue to build up and go from there.
Before his injury, Kershaw started 16 games this season, throwing 95⅓ innings, posting a 10-4 record, 2.55 ERA, 105 strikeouts, and a 1.05 WHIP.
Still in regulation, Kershaw leads both leagues in ERA and is first in the NL in WHIP. If he returns in early August, as Roberts expects, he could make 10 or 11 starts for the rest of the season. If he continues to pitch the way he did in the first half of the year, he could be in line for his fourth career Cy Young Award.
Kershaw recently told USA Today that he will consider retirement after this season. “There are a lot of factors to consider,” he said. His wife and four children, whether the Dodgers win a championship, and most importantly, his health.
Kershaw, in particular, is likely to seriously consider retirement because he’s not physically capable of throwing full-time. Of course, if the Dodgers win the World Series, he’ll hang up his jersey.
The Dodgers, who won their second straight game with a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, improved to 55-39 and took a commanding lead in the NL West. With the second-place San Francisco Giants remaining 1.5 games behind in their quest for a seven-game winning streak, the Dodgers will start Julio Urias against Baltimore on Tuesday in search of their third straight victory.온라인바카라
The Dodgers have used a rotation of Urias, Tony Gonsoli, Bobby Miller, Emmitt Sheehan and Michael Grove in the second half. While Urias and Gonsolin are the only two rookies in the rotation, the Dodgers are desperate for Kershaw to return.