GLENDALE, Ariz. — There aren’t enough stars for the 2024 Dodgers, so here Clayton Kershaw stood in front of about 60 reporters Thursday and asked why he didn’t retire, why he didn’t retire for the first time in his career. He explained why he had undergone surgery and why he retired. He did not go to play for the Rangers near his home in Dallas.
Instead, perhaps the greatest pitcher in franchise history underwent left shoulder surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligament on Nov. 3, returning for his 17th season.
Kershaw, who agreed to a contract that includes a player option for 2025, is two weeks into his pitching program and said he plans to return to the Dodgers in July or August.
So how well is the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, who turns 36 next month, expected to perform in his return?
“I’m hoping for a good result, but I don’t know what will happen.” [being himself] It doesn’t make any sense anymore, but I’m hopeful that it will work out,” Kershaw said. “Like I said before, I don’t want to be average. I can’t just pitch over and over again. I want to be good. I want to contribute. I want to be a part of this, so yeah, my Expectations are not just about conceding good things.”
Kershaw is looking to join a team that has made the playoffs for 11 straight years and has strengthened itself by investing more than $1 billion in the offseason, especially in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. is.
Kershaw described himself as “broken goods right now” and said he was especially grateful to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for keeping in touch with him throughout the offseason. .
In his last game, Game 1 of the National League District Series against Arizona, Kershaw gave up six runs in one-third of an inning.
Especially after surgery was the only option Kershaw had if he wanted to do more than play catch with his kids, which could end his Dodgers career, if not his entire career. I felt like I might be able to do it.
Over the past few seasons, Kershaw has had to decide between staying with the Dodgers, playing for the Rangers (he grew up in and still resides in the Dallas suburb of Highland Park, home to his friend and Texas GM Chris Young), or playing for the Rangers. I was thinking about whether to retire. After consulting with his wife, Ellen, Kershaw decided he wanted to play.
Kershaw was vague about how far he pursued anything with the Rangers.
But the Texans have been cash-strapped this offseason due to the uncertainty of local TV revenue, and already have three starters in Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mar, who have been placed on injured reserve. He will miss most of the season from the start as he is undergoing rehabilitation.
“I needed to take some time off from the season,” Kershaw said. “Honestly, it was still quite difficult.” [how it ended]. So I had to go away for a few weeks to really think about it and I didn’t want to go out like that.
“So, what I ended up with is, [a decision to keep playing]. And then as I started gathering more information and realized that surgery was probably the best option, everything became a little clearer and I decided to come back. ”
