Beyond Kershaw’s Absence: Dodgers’ Front Office Responds Decisively to Unfortunate News, Implementing Strategic Roster Changes to Navigate the Season Without Their Ace
Los Angeles Dodgers fans waiting for Clayton Kershaw’s 3,000th strikeout already knew they’d have to wait.
No one should have been surprised, then, when the Dodgers officially placed Kershaw on the 60-day injured list Wednesday. The three-time NL Cy Young winner is recovering from knee and toe surgeries.
The Dodgers also announced they selected right-hander Matt Sauer’s contract and optioned left-hander Justin Wrobleski to the minors.
Sauer recorded a 7.71 ERA over 16.1 innings for the Kansas City Royals last season. He entered Thursday with an 8.22 ERA in four spring games.
As for Kershaw, the veteran lefty was always expected to start the year on the 60-day IL. The Dodgers are moving him from the 15-day IL for roster space, and it’s not an indictment on the future Hall of Famer’s recovery.
Still, it’s nonetheless an unfortunate reminder we won’t see Kershaw anytime soon. The 10-time All-Star is only two seasons removed from posting a 2.46 ERA and 3.7 bWAR—his highest since 2017—across 24 starts.
However, Kershaw’s various injuries limited him to a 4.70 ERA in seven starts last year. He did not pitch during the Dodgers’ World Series run.
Kershaw, who turned 37 on Wednesday, is 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA and 2,968 strikeouts in 17 seasons.
Although pundits and fans have openly wondered how Kershaw fits into the Dodgers’ pitching plans, don’t expect Dave Roberts to turn his former ace into a full-time reliever. One would expect the Dodgers to limit rookie Roki Sasaki and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani’s innings, especially in the summer.
The Dodgers’ rotation also features Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Glasnow and Snell, however, have lengthy injury histories.
