The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up for their anticipated Tokyo Series with the Chicago Cubs in just two weeks, which is causing the front office to work to get their roster in place.
In a very busy offseason that featured huge signings like Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott on the pitching side, the team also brought back franchise legend Clayton Kershawn on a one-year, $7.5 million deal.
Kershaw is entering his 18th season with the Dodgers organization and has a career 2.50 ERA over 429 starts.
According to Dodgers reporter Fabian Ardaya, Kershaw expects to start the season on the 60-day injured list. However, once he clears those 60 days, he is expected to be ready to get back on the mound.
Kershaw provides so much to the Dodgers organization besides just all of his incredible accolades, he is also a leader and strong veteran presence in the clubhouse.
He started just seven games in 2024 in an injury-riddled year.
The 10-time All-Star is just 32 strikeouts away from the remarkable 3,000 mark for his career.
Starting the year on the injured list doesn’t help his case greatly, but it would be good to see Kersh get some decent opportunities to reach the mark if the Dodgers are in a good place in the standings.
Nothing is guaranteed in the Dodgers’ loaded rotation, and Kershaw may also have to bank on another player being injured to see meaningful innings.
