The top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Monday night, and now they have been delivered another crushing blow.

Left-handed veteran Clayton Kershaw was slated to get the call on the rubber for Game 2 against the Atlanta Braves.

However, Kershaw has reportedly been scratched from the start due to back spasms:

This is a brutal loss for the Dodgers.

Kershaw has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball for the better part of a decade, but he had an especially resurgent 2020 season. The three-time NL Cy Young Award-winner went 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 regular-season starts. Kershaw also had a 0.84 WHIP and slashed his walk rate while maintaining a 9.6 K/9 mark.

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The 32-year-old had also gotten his postseason off to a strong start. Kershaw threw eight scoreless innings in the Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and he kept the San Diego Padres in check for the better part of Game 2 of the NLDS before giving up back-to-back homers in the sixth inning.

Still, the Dodgers had hoped their longtime ace could help recapture some momentum against a hot Braves team. Instead, L.A. will turn to Tony Gonsolin in the hopes he can be a hero.

Gonsolin was exceptional in his second season, posting a 2.31 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 46.2 innings of work, including eight starts.

However, the 26-year-old has yet to experience postseason baseball, and he now must take the hill against a tough Braves lineup with the Dodgers' season potentially hanging in the balance.