Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Needs to be Kept From Rushing Back

Clayton Kershaw taking the mound for the Dodgers on opening day would be a glorious sight just about any other year.  This year, that is something Dodger fans will not get to witness.

Just about any other season, Clayton Kershaw taking the mound on opening day would be a given and if he didn’t then something was terribly wrong such as Clayton being injured.  With just ten days until opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kershaw has yet to pitch in a spring training game and it was announced today that Kershaw will not start on opening day.

There had been multiple articles and conversations surrounding the Dodgers about Kershaw possibly making an abbreviated start on opening day.  This idea needed to be put to bed and the Dodgers need to keep Kershaw from rushing himself back.  He is going to throw to batters Wednesday and then the next step in his recovery will be determined.

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At best it looks like Clayton will be able to make one start this spring and given that his pitch count is not yet worked up, he will probably throw 40-45 pitches max in his first outing.  Being one of the game’s most competitive players. there is no doubt that Kershaw is going to try and rush himself back to pitch in the regular season as soon as possible.

There is absolutely no need to rush him back, especially since baseball is a 162 game marathon plus the postseason.  The smart play would be keeping Kershaw out until the end of April as he makes at least 2-3 rehab starts in the minors to work up his pitch count and fine-tune his pitches like he would in any other spring training.

Not only would rushing Clayton back increase his chances of more shoulder problems, but it also would not give him enough time to be 100% effective to begin the season.  The Dodgers have more starting pitching depth than any other team in baseball and it’s time for them to put that to use and hold Kershaw back from himself.

Even if Walker Buehler is not ready to begin the regular season, the Dodgers still have the depth to overcome being without both for a few weeks of the regular season.  Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda, Ross Stripling, and Julio Urias are still a solid five that can keep the Dodgers afloat while they wait for their ace and the ace in the making to be ready to go.