Even though Clayton Kershaw’s set to miss at least half of 2024, the lefty was one of several high-prized free agents available heading into February. That’s changed, as Clayton Kershaw will reportedly re-join the Dodgers for this upcoming season.
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A Look at Kershaw
Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been dominant for years but injuries have hampered the three-time Cy Young Award winner for years. Unfortunately, that theme continued for Kershaw again in 2023.
The 10-time All-Star pitched astoundingly well in the first half, as he struck out 105 batters over 95.1 IP and navigated turbulent waters in May to have a standout June (1.09 ERA, 30 K over 33 IP).
Shoulder soreness, though, sidelined Kershaw for all of July. He did return in August and pitched well despite the fact he was capped at five innings for much of the second half. In total Kershaw, who’s 56 strikeouts shy of 3,000, went 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and above-average Chase% and Whiff% rates.
The lefty doesn’t have the velocity of old, as he’ll regularly sit in the high-80s to low-90s with his four-seamer (18.1” IVB). However, his sharp curveball and slider, along with the changeup, good command, and smarts on the mound, make it tough to hit the lefty.
Kershaw’s regular season greatness is well-known. And, the lefty does have the second-most strikeouts in postseason history (213), behind only Justin Verlander (244). However, his postseason performances have been between great — think 2015 and 2018 NLDS — to wildly inconsistent.
A case in point was in 2023 when Kershaw imploded and gave up six hits — which included hard-hit balls from Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno off hanging breaking balls — and six runs in 0.1 IP.
Per the New York Post, Clayton Kershaw is set to undergo a physical later this week. He is expected to miss at least the first half of 2024 after offseason shoulder surgery.
Analysis
Kershaw stated earlier in the offseason that he had hoped to play this upcoming season and he’ll do so yet again in a Dodgers uniform.
Aside from the fact that the likely Baseball Hall of Famer has a chance to get to 3,000 strikeouts, it does give Kershaw a chance to get a second World Series ring and rewrite a complicated postseason legacy.
The Dodgers have been busy this winter, which has included the additions of starters Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and superstar DH/P Shohei Ohtani. Those moves have created arguably the deepest team Kershaw’s been on, and gives the lefty an enhanced chance to win it all again.
And with Glasnow and Yamamoto in tow, less of the load should be off Kershaw’s hands once he ultimately returns.