Decline is inevitable even for great athletes. That seems to be where Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw is at in his career. Once the most feared pitching weapon in all of baseball, Kershaw has struggled in his first two starts of the season.
It can be recalled that Kershaw was only able to make his 2024 MLB regular season debut on July 25 against the San Francisco Giants after months away from big league action to recuperate from a shoulder injury.
Are the Dodgers worried about Clayton Kershaw's diminishing powers?
After just two starts, doubts about his pitching abilities at this stage of Kershaw's career are swirling around the Dodgers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
“The Dodgers are privately concerned about Clayton Kershaw, who was rocked in his second start against the Padres, lasting just 3 ⅔ innings and for the first time in his career, failed to strike out a batter,” wrote Nightengale.
“It ends his record 423-game streak with at least one strikeout, the longest streak since the mound was moved to 60-feet-6 inches in 1893,” Nightengale added.
Against the Giants, Kershaw pitched for only 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He settled for a no-decision, as the Dodgers ended up beating the Giants to the tune of a 6-4 score.
The three-time National League Cy Young winner looked worse in his next start, though, versus the San Diego Padres. In the series finale opposite the Friars last week at Petco Park, Kershaw lasted just 3.2 innings. By the time he made he got replaced on the mound, he had already given up seven runs (three unearned) on six hits, including a home run, with a walk and zero strikeouts.
Nightengale also noted that Kershaw averaged below 90 miles per hour on his pitches and only collected a pair of swing-and-misses.
Perhaps Kershaw is still just trying to get his body back into rhythm after a long time away from MLB action. Older players tend to have a tougher time reaching their top form following an injury, so he probably just needs a bit more time to adjust. At 36 years old and with a plethora of injuries he has dealt with throughout his decorated career in the big leagues, it's unfair to expect Kershaw to throw as effectively as he used to when he was picking up All-Star nods and Cy Young honors.
Despite his poor start to his 2024 campaign, it was not that long ago when Kershaw was last an All-Star. He got All-Star nods in 2022 and 2023. Kershaw posted a 25-8 record, 2.37 ERA, 1.004 WHIP, and 3.31 FIP from 2022 to 2023 across 46 starts. He also had a 177 ERA+ in that same span.
A 10-time All-Star, Kershaw can still prove his doubters wrong by turning things around as soon as his next start, which is scheduled to take place this coming Tuesday in the second game of a three-leg series at Dodger Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers are still the top team in the NL West division with a 65-47 record but are now just 4.5 games ahead of the Padres.
Kershaw, who has played his entire MLB career so far with the Dodgers, signed a two-year deal worth $10 million with Los Angeles last February. He has a player option worth $5 million for the 2025 campaign.
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