Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw is set to begin a crucial rehab assignment on Wednesday, a development recently shared by manager Dave Roberts with reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. This assignment will initiate a 30-day rehabilitation window for the veteran pitcher, positioning him to potentially return around May 17th, the date he becomes eligible to come off the 60-day injured list.
The 37-year-old Kershaw, once a consistent workhorse for the Dodgers, has faced increasing health challenges in recent seasons. Since 2019, he has not surpassed 132 innings pitched in a single year, and in the 2024 season, he was limited to just 30 innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw’s Injury Rehab
He began the 2024 campaign on the injured list while recovering from shoulder surgery, and, despite returning to the mound, his season was ultimately cut short by surgeries on his toe and knee to address a ruptured plantar plate and a torn meniscus.
While placed on the 60-day IL relatively early in 2025, the Dodgers’ early start to the regular season with the Tokyo Series in mid-March provides Kershaw with a slightly accelerated timeline for his potential return compared to players who land on the 60-day IL at the traditional start of the season.
The level of performance to expect from Kershaw at this stage remains somewhat uncertain. While his fastball once averaged around 95 miles per hour during his peak, it has settled closer to the 90 mph range in recent years.
Despite this dip in velocity, he still managed a respectable 2.46 ERA in 2023, though his limited outings last year resulted in a 4.50 ERA, culminating in a challenging outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the playoffs. With his recent surgical history, the question remains whether these trends will continue or if improved health could allow him to regain some of his former dominance.
Whenever Kershaw returns to the active roster, the Dodgers’ already deep-pitching staff could face some difficult decisions regarding their rotation. Currently, their rotation features Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, and Landon Knack. Additionally, Blake Snell recently landed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, though the issue appears to be relatively minor. Tony Gonsolin is also on the IL with back tightness but is already in the midst of a rehab assignment.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s YouTube Channel
Furthermore, Shohei Ohtani continues his throwing program while serving as the team’s designated hitter, aiming for his own return to the mound. With Kershaw, Snell, Gonsolin, and Ohtani all potentially rejoining the pitching mix, the Dodgers may need to make strategic choices regarding rotation spots and bullpen roles.
Given the various health and workload concerns surrounding this group, maintaining consistent health across the board will be a significant challenge.
The fact that Yamamoto and Sasaki are being managed with weekly schedules, common in Japan, could provide some flexibility for a six-man rotation, depending on off-days, but ultimately, some pitchers might find themselves in long relief roles, with Knack, Sasaki, and Gonsolin possessing the remaining options, though Gonsolin’s impending service time milestone could impact his optionability.