Kershaw’s Comeback Journey: Battling Injuries and Chasing History
Lately, the buzz around Dodger Stadium has nothing to do with flashy trades or a rookie sensation. It’s about Clayton Kershaw and his long-awaited return to the mound. The Dodgers’ workhorse wrapped up his last rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 11, and the numbers are in: four innings, two runs off two hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts. Not the most dazzling line, but after a winter rehabbing from both knee and toe surgeries, every pitch counts a little more.
The last few months haven't been a breeze for Kershaw. Surgery on his left knee was expected, but a nagging issue with his toe made things complicated. The word from the coaching staff is that his arm strength bounced back a little faster than his footwork, with the toe affecting his push-off and overall delivery. Still, there’s real optimism. In each rehab outing, coaches watched him move with more confidence—less of a grimace, more of that familiar Kershaw rhythm. Knowing how he obsesses over perfecting his mechanics, it’s no surprise he’s been careful ramping up his pitch count, wrapping up this last start at 57 pitches, 35 of which found the strike zone.
Timing is everything, and in classic Dodgers fashion, the rotation has been under fire. Both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow landed on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation, leaving the team scrambling for stability. Kershaw might not be at peak form, but his experience offers a welcome anchor for a staff that’s looking to weather the storm, even if it means enduring a few bumps in the road early on.
Kershaw’s Milestone Season and First MLB Outing
When Kershaw steps onto the Dodger Stadium mound for his season debut against the Los Angeles Angels on May 18, it's more than just another start. This appearance officially marks his 18th year in Dodger blue—a stretch that ties him with team legends like Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for most seasons played in franchise history. That kind of longevity is rare, and it's not lost on the fans who still flock to see every start.
If anyone was expecting vintage dominance right out of the gate, his debut was a reality check. He lasted just four innings, giving up five runs as the Angels’ bats made him work. His fastball sat at 89.2 mph—not a big leap from his post-surgery radar readings, and he struggled to hit his spots, running into trouble with location and command. The outing was a step down from his standout rehab performance a month earlier, when he breezed through three scoreless innings and struck out two on April 16. It's clear the transition from minor league competition to major league hitters exposes any physical limitations a lot more ruthlessly.
Still, the Dodgers see this as the first rung on a long ladder. With Kershaw, it’s as much about finding rhythm and consistency as overpowering stuff. The medical team is keeping a close eye on his toe, especially on how it holds up over multiple starts. If the early wobbles settle down, there’s just as much hope for a classic Kershaw bounce-back as there is for a Dodgers team hungry for stability in a tough season.
For fans, there’s a strange comfort in watching a franchise icon fight his way back from injury, even if it isn’t always pretty. After nearly two decades and plenty of high-stakes moments, Kershaw’s 2025 campaign feels less about rewriting the record books and more about showing he’s still got some fight left—and that’s something nobody at Chavez Ravine wants to miss.
