Dodgers injury updates: Clayton Kershaw, Jason Heyward, Bobby Miller

Lately, the Dodgers seem to be subscribing to a kind of alley-oop strategy: hit us with good news, then immediately let us down with the bad stuff. Blake Treinen was reinstated on the 26-man, but Evan Phillips went onto the 15-day IL. Walker Buehler came back for the first time in two years, but Joe Kelly also went onto the 15-day IL.

With those moves, LA still has 12 players on the IL — 11 pitchers and one position player in Jason Heyward, and it's a brutal figure to look at, even though the Dodgers have been playing better to start May than they were throughout most of April.

The Dodgers provided updates on a few of those players, most notably Clayton Kershaw, who was always destined to sit out for most of the year and return in the late summer after a shoulder surgery. Dave Roberts said he was making good progress in his rehab and the results had been "really encouraging" following a second bullpen session, during which time he threw 20 pitches, all fastballs.

The plan is for Kershaw to throw more pitches and mix in more of his arsenal through more sessions. Roberts also supplied that Kershaw's shoulder was feeling good. He gave a tentative window for his return back in spring training (July or August), and although the Dodgers' need for him does seem more immediate, this is one they definitely can't and shouldn't rush.

Dodgers, Dave Roberts supply injury updates for Clayton Kershaw, Jason Heyward, and more

Roberts said that Heyward has also resumed some light baseball activities after being shut down from them entirely last week. He's been hitting and running the bases, and is reportedly on the way to a 2-5 game rehab stint in the minors. Heyward's return would shake up the Dodgers roster the most of anyone else on the IL, as the Dodgers would have to do some serious thinking before sending Andy Pages back to the minors to make room for Heyward.

Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan also seem to be trending in the right direction. Miller has been throwing bullpens and "is getting closer to a rehab stint," while Sheehan's much slower recovery still has him throwing long toss. Roberts said he was "progressing well," and the next step would be to start throwing from the mound.

Timelines are a little dubious all around, but positive updates are much better than silence. As of Tuesday's game, the Dodgers are on a six-game win streak and are looking pretty good, but as things intensify into the summer months, getting these IL-ridden players back onto the roster will be crucial.