The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball. That said, the team's October outlook isn't leaving much reason for optimism at the moment. On Monday, it was revealed that Julio Urías was arrested Sunday night and charged with felony domestic violence. As a result, there's a chance he won't pitch again for the Dodgers. Meanwhile, ace Clayton Kershaw saw a dip in velocity Tuesday versus the Miami Marlins.

The velocity drop wouldn't cause much reason for concern if Kershaw hadn't previously dealt with a shoulder injury. He averaged under 90 MPH on his heater last week, something that continued Tuesday against Miami according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Manager Dave Roberts reportedly indicated prior to the Dodgers-Marlins game Tuesday that Kershaw was still dealing with a shoulder ailment of some sort, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

This doesn't mean Kershaw is destined to end up on the injured list. However, the one thing that is clear is the Dodgers' rotation is dealing with uncertainty and LA needs Kershaw to be ready to go in the MLB playoffs, especially with Urías probably done for the season. So how should the Dodgers use Kershaw down the stretch prior to the postseason?

Dodgers must consider 2 Clayton Kershaw strategies down the stretch

Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw

Right now, the Dodgers' playoff rotation will consist of Lance Lynn without question. Other than Lynn, there aren't any guarantees aside from Kershaw, assuming he stays healthy. Bobby Miller should be in the rotation but there is the possibility of an innings limit for the young right-hander. Walker Buehler recently pitched in a rehab game and may be an option, but he hasn't appeared in an MLB game since last June.

The Dodgers will need to lean on some of their young arms to round out the postseason rotation. In order to ensure that Kershaw will be healthy for the playoffs, LA may need to consider a couple options down the stretch.

The first option LA must consider is to place Kershaw on the injured list. Some may call it a “phantom IL” move (when a player isn't really injured but the team makes up an injury to provide said player with extra rest). But in Kershaw's case, he is actually dealing with some sort of shoulder issue. Thus, the IL placement would be warranted. It would also give Kershaw valuable rest ahead of the postseason.

The second option would be to simply limit Clayton Kershaw moving forward. On Tuesday, he threw under 90 pitches. Perhaps the Dodgers are already preparing to limit his pitch count.

They could also skip a start or two. This would allow Kershaw to avoid an IL stint but still receive necessary rest.

Are either of these options really necessary?

If Clayton Kershaw is still battling a shoulder injury then these options are indeed necessary. Obviously, the Dodgers want to keep Kershaw fresh. The harsh reality is this ball club isn't going anywhere in October without Kershaw.

Sure, the future Hall-of-Famer has dealt with some inconsistencies in the playoffs throughout his career. He's still the heart-and-soul of the pitching staff though. As talented as the Dodgers' offense is, LA needs their rotation to step up. If Kershaw were to not be available for the playoffs, there wouldn't be a clear ace to replace him.