Kershaw Placed On Throwing Program, Could Be Out Three Weeks

This is not an April fool’s joke, although I wish it were. The Dodgers announced today that Clayton Kershaw will be placed on a throwing program, and reevaluated in 2-3 weeks. He also will probably need a minor league rehab assignment before being activated.

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Kershaw was placed on the disabled list Monday with inflammation in his upper back muscle. The Teres major muscle is what it’s called. Earlier this week, Kershaw tried to play catch, but still felt some discomfort while doing so, and the Dodgers shut him down.

Clayton Kershaw will be placed on a rehab that includes a submaximal throwing program for the next 2-3 weeks before being reevaluated again.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 1, 2014

Kershaw has made one start in the 2014 regular season so far. He tossed the opening day game in Sydney, Australia against the Snakes. He tossed 6.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing just five hits, and whiffing seven. He made 102 pitches in that game, and didn’t report feeling any discomfort until the following Tuesday.

The Dodgers are calling it a submaximal throwing program. Whatever that means, but this doesn’t sound great. What this probably means is that Kershaw will miss all of April, or most of April at the least. We may not see Kershaw back until sometime around early May. The Dodgers made the decision after they met with Dr. ElAttrache, and after re-examining his MRI results.

In the meantime, the Dodgers expect Josh Beckett to be ready to come off of the disabled list soon. Beckett is still recovering from a sore thumb he injured slamming it into a clubhouse door. Otherwise, the Dodgers will have to make do with a rotation of Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu, Dan Haren, and possibly left hander Paul Maholm, who stands ready to fill in if needed.