All good, Felt fine.”
That’s what LA Dodgers Clayton Kershaw said after throwing his first bullpen session since his shoulder injury on Sept. 19 (ET).
Manager Dave Roberts beamed with satisfaction after receiving a report from pitching coach Mark Prior on Kershaw’s bullpen performance.먹튀검증
“I talked to the pitching coach and he said he was very pleased (with the bullpen). “He threw about 30 pitches and he went through all of his pitches and he pitched pretty hard,” Roberts said. “It worked out well. We’ll see how his body responds tomorrow and take the next step. It’s definitely going in a good direction.”
Kershaw left his start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 28 after six innings when he felt something wrong with his left shoulder. He had pitched a perfect six innings of one-hit ball at the time.
An MRI before the All-Star break indicated that he shouldn’t touch the ball for “two to three weeks,” so Kershaw was cautiously throwing out of the bullpen that day.
“He needs a little more time,” Roberts said. Right now, it looks like (his return) will be in early August. That’s tentative,” Roberts said.
Kershaw is expected to throw two more bullpen sessions before going live. Roberts doesn’t think a minor league rehab start is necessary. “The most important thing is that he’s pain-free,” he said. “The most important thing is that there’s no soreness at all, and he’s following the doctor’s orders,” Roberts said, adding, “I think it’s good to continue to build up and go from there.
Kershaw enjoys playing ball with his two sons before a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 16, 2018. AP
Kershaw said he would seriously consider retirement after this season. AFP
Before his injury, Kershaw started 16 games this season, throwing 95 1/3 innings, posting a 10-4 record with a 2.55 ERA, 105 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP.
Still in regulation, Kershaw leads both leagues in ERA and leads the NL in WHIP. If he returns in early August, as Roberts expects, he could make 10 or 11 starts the rest of the season. If he continues to pitch the way he did in the first half of the year, he could be in the running for his fourth career Cy Young Award.
Kershaw recently told USA Today that he will consider retirement after this season. “There are a lot of factors to consider,” he said. His wife and four children, whether the Dodgers win a championship, and most importantly, his health.
Kershaw, in particular, is likely to seriously consider retirement because he’s not physically capable of throwing full-time. Of course, if the Dodgers win the World Series, he’ll hang up his jersey.
With their second straight win, a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, the Dodgers improved to 55-39 and took a commanding lead in the NL West. While the second-place San Francisco Giants remain 1.5 games back in the division with a seven-game winning streak, the Dodgers will start Julio Urias against Baltimore on Tuesday in search of their third straight victory.
The Dodgers have used a rotation of Urias, Tony Gonsoli, Bobby Miller, Emmitt Sheehan and Michael Grove in the second half. While Urias and Gonsolin are the only two rookies in the rotation, the Dodgers are desperate for Kershaw to return.