Los Angeles Dodgers veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been removed from the official 26-man roster for the National League Division Series.
MORE NEWS: Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s first October marketing campaign takes shape
His absence is not surprising as he is battling a recurring toe injury. Kershaw continues his rehabilitation and could return to the Dodgers in the coming weeks.
But for Kershaw to take the mound in the playoffs, the Dodgers will need to do well in the postseason.
Kershaw was seen doing a long toss ahead of team training on Thursday. Dodgers GM Brandon Gomez has all but confirmed that the veteran southpaw won’t be on the mound in the NLDS.
more
John McCoy/Getty Images
“We will continue to monitor his progress,” Gomez said Wednesday. “I think we all know (Kershaw), if it’s a situation where he can go, we’re going to go, but right now he’s not even close to that.”
Kershaw progressed to pitching out of the bullpen, but his progress was halted by problems pushing him off the mound. His left big toe injury is something he has been dealing with for years.
Kershaw was ejected from the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 30th. His premature exit left him in the bullpen and he finished the game with no outs in the second inning.
Kershaw’s untimely injury put another pitcher in the rotation on injured reserve.
The 10-time All-Star has certainly had his fair share of ups and downs in the postseason. His last appearance in the playoffs was in 2023. In the game between National LDS and the Diamondbacks, he gave up six runs in the first inning.
Kershaw was ejected from the game before recording two outs in the first frame.
Kershaw is 13-13 with a 4.49 ERA in the postseason. He appeared in 39 games in the postseason, recording 213 strikeouts and one save.
If the veteran pitcher does not make the playoffs in 2024, it will be the first time since 2021 that the Dodgers will miss the postseason.
Kershaw suffered a season-ending injury in October 2021. The future Hall of Famer made back-to-back postseason appearances for Los Angeles in 2008-09, 2013-20 and 2022-23.
The Dodgers have suffered an unprecedented number of injuries this season. From the pitching staff to the batting lineup, the Dodgers were by no means unscathed.
Injuries continue to plague the team heading into Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. Two starters, Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas, have both struggled with injuries.
Freeman and Rojas are scheduled to start Saturday.
For more Dodgers news, check out Newsweek Sports.
