It's hard to imagine Clayton Kershaw in anything other than a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. As he enters his 17th MLB season, Kershaw does so with the only franchise he's ever played for after signing a one-year contract with the Dodgers for the third consecutive year earlier this week.
Kershaw contemplated retirement and teased the idea of signing with the Texas Rangers near his hometown of Dallas this offseason. A week before the Dodgers' first full-squad workout of spring training, Kershaw agreed to terms on a deal that could net him up to $12 million in 2024 (and a player option for 2025).
Kershaw spoke about his decision to hold off on retirement, one he did not take lightly. Following discussions with his wife Ellen, he elected to have shoulder surgery in November, the first major arm surgery of his career. The three-time Cy Young Award winner then had to figure out where to play in 2024.
How his and the Dodgers' season ended in 2023 played a factor. Kershaw allowed six runs and recorded one out in Game 1 of the NLDS last October. The Dodgers were swept in three games by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Didn't want to go out that way,” Kershaw said, per Fabian Ardaya. “I think that was ultimately how I came to it.”
Fingers have been pointed at Kershaw for most of his career for his lack of ace performances in the postseason. An otherwise flawless and highly decorated legacy could have taken a dent had his final Dodgers start been that dreadful division series outing.
Kershaw instead has given himself a chance to cement his legacy as not only one of the greatest pitchers in Dodgers history but in MLB history. When will the future Hall of Fame hurler return to the mound though?
Kershaw's recovery timeline
Clayton Kershaw knew when he had surgery last November to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder that he'd face a lengthy recovery. The Dodgers were aware too, which perhaps played a factor in them revamping their starting rotation in anticipation that Kershaw would be out for the first couple of months of the season.
Kershaw said Thursday that he doesn’t want to put a firm timeline together, but it sounds like a return before the All-Star break is a longshot. He's targeting a “July-ish, August-ish” return, per Jack Harris, though he is set to ramp up his throwing program in March.
What version of Kershaw the Dodgers get in the second half of 2024 remains to be seen, but they don’t need the then 36-year-old (Kershaw's birthday is in March) to be the dominant pitcher he was for the better part of a decade. With the additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, as well as the return of Walker Buehler, the Dodgers' 2024 rotation is loaded with talent.
Health will play a significant factor in how far the Dodgers can go in 2024, but what a boost it would be if they got some vintage Kershaw outings during the stretch run of the season. We may still be six months away from another Clayton Kershaw start, but he sounds excited for the final chapter of his storied MLB career.
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