The Claw is sharpening his grip for a grand return! Yes, veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw is set to return this year to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and this time, the excitement is real. After finalizing a one-year, $7.5 million deal, there was still one major hurdle—his recovery from foot and knee surgery. But now, the three-time Cy Young winner has finally shared a tentative return timeline, giving Dodgers fans something to cheer about. His road back hasn’t been easy, but Kershaw’s latest update is a promising sign that he’s not done dominating the mound just yet.

Kershaw and injuries are not unknown to each other, and it all started in 2016 when Kershaw lost the season due to his back injury. This was followed by a left shoulder injury in 2019, a forearm injury in 2021, and further injuries in 2023 and 2024. Thus, Kershaw is ultimately coming back from the injuries, something the fans long hoped for. So what will be the timeline of return for Kershaw, and how is he going to fit in the star-studded lineup of the Dodgers this season?

Clayton Kershaw’s road to recovery 

Well, the 2024 season went poorly for Clayton Kershaw, and typical of the Dodgers, they still signed him for another year hoping to get his service this year. Last year, Kershaw only managed to pitch in 30 innings with a 2–2 record and a 4.50 ERA, all career lows. So, despite the criticisms the Dodgers generate for their financial muscle, they should be hailed for offering a deal to their long-term pitcher even after such a poor season. Now that his surgery is done and Kershaw is currently in rehab, when can the fans expect to see him in action again? 

“The foot surgery has been hard.  Walking has been hard, but finally started to turn the corner a few weeks ago. It hasn’t felt this way in a while”, said Kershaw to Spectrum SportsNet. He sounds optimistic and eager to get back to the field but now will go for a 60-day rehab and be ready sometime soon after he is eligible probably mid-May. So Kershaw is still set to miss the starting phase of this season but will be available for most of the year later. The Dodgers are eyeing their consecutive World Series this year and getting Kershaw for the postseason makes the deal sweet for them. 

Probable fit in the team 

While Clayton Kershaw is all set to return, it will be interesting to watch how he gets fit in the team. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series last year without Kershaw, and thus, it will be unlikely that he will be in the starting rotation. For the unversed, the Dodgers have the most star-studded pitchers this year, and certainly, Yamamoto, Sasaki, Snell, Glasnow, Gonsolin, and May will start the pitch. Shohei Ohtani will be a reinforcement, as will Kershaw. So no chance for Kershaw to be in action?

Well, the Dodgers are infamous for their pitchers’ injuries, and players like River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, and Ohtani are recovering from Tommy John surgery. Hence, Kershaw has an increased chance of getting into the rotation at the earliest. Moreover, the Dodgers transferred right-hander River Ryan to the 60-day injured list to make room for Kershaw on the 40-man roster. This reflects that Kershaw is on the radar of the Dodgers and is just an injury away from any starting pitcher getting into the rotation. 

Typical of the Dodgers that they have made their pitching depth so strong, understandably they kept faith in Kershaw, making him the second-only player to play 18+ seasons for the boys in blue. 

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