Clayton Kershaw delivers a rollercoaster update to Dodgers fans on his injury status

Clayton Kershaw opened the 2025 season on the 60-day injured list, meaning he won't be eligible to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers until late May. However, the veteran left-hander shared an encouraging update on his recovery process Friday.

At least, we think it was encouraging. Maybe. Actually, it's hard to say.

Kershaw underwent a pair of surgeries in November – one to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, and one to repair a ruptured plantar plate in his left big toe. He threw his first live BP session Friday ahead of the Dodgers' game against the Detroit Tigers, marking a significant step in his journey back to game action.

“It’s getting there," Kershaw said of his recovery so far (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). "I wouldn’t say it’s perfect. But definitely getting there. I think overall it’s good progress. I’m not going to be happy until I’m out on the mound. But I think everybody – doctors and training staff – would say I’m doing what I need to be doing. It feels way better than it did. It’s getting there. I don’t know if I would say it’s where I want it but it’s getting there. Overall I’m encouraged. Just need to learn how to pitch again. But I’ve still got a few weeks to figure it out.”

Well, there you have it. Kershaw's description of his recovery is almost as ambiguous as his potential return date.

Clayton Kershaw delivers a rollercoaster update to Dodgers fans on his injury status

Kershaw signed a one-year deal worth $7.5 million in guaranteed money (with more than twice that amount available via incentives) to return for his 18th MLB season with the Dodgers in 2025. Due to his recovery from back surgery last offseason and the toe injury that surfaced later in the year, Kershaw pitched to a 4.50 ERA over a career-low 30 innings in 2024 without seeing any action in the playoffs.

The timeline for Kershaw's potential return to game action will rely largely on his recovery from the toe surgery, as the injury affected his ability to push off the rubber and ultimately shut him down last season.

“The foot I think takes – I don’t even want to guess on what the timeline is like,” Kershaw said (via Plunkett). “There have been other guys who’ve had the foot surgery. But some things are always a little bit different. There’s been only one or two baseball players that have had this surgery. It’s just kind of hard to guess when it heals compared to when you feel good enough to push off a mound."

So, maybe Kershaw's "update" wasn't much of an update after all. We still don't know when he'll pitch again for the Dodgers, but at the very least, it appears that his recovery process remains on track. That's great to hear, but like we suspected, we will probably see him in action after the All-Star break. No need to push it, and no need for false excitement.

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