Cody Snavely
It was announced on Instagram by Clayton Kershaw himself has undergone shoulder surgery, likely keeping him out until the second half of the 2024 season.
It is no surprise that Kershaw is going under the knife to have his shoulder repaired, as since he returned from the IL in September, his velocity, command, and innings were all down before being put on the IL. Kershaw stated numerous times that he was healthy. Still, after the Dodgers were shocked by the eventual NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS, Kershaw said he would take time making his decision and get his shoulder evaluated.
Kershaw, over the last two off-season, has contemplated retirement, a return to the Dodgers, or pivoting to his hometown Rangers as the 16-year vet is near the finish line in his Hall of Fame career. However, Kershaw is in uncharted territory as he heads into the winter with significant surgery on his shoulder and his age, putting his future in the air.
What does it mean for the Dodgers?
A reunion was always on the table between the Dodgers and Kershaw, and Andrew Freidman has extended those thoughts yet again during this year’s end-of-the-season press conference. The Dodgers are in desperate need of starting pitching, and that was with Kershaw on the team this past offseason. With Kershaw being on the IL until mid-summer 2024, the Dodgers must focus on replacing him even if they sign him back.
The Dodgers are poised for a big offseason with a lot of money coming off the books, and after back-to-back NLDS exits, the team looks to address the flaws in hopes of going on a deeper run next October. While Ohtani is the big get this offseason, the Dodgers will need to land one of the big arms in the market, such as Aaron Nola, Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow, and so on.
What does it mean for Kershaw?
Clayton Kershaw is entering his 17th MLB season at the age of 36. Shoulder issues are a huge red flag in pitchers, especially at his age, and with surgery keeping him on the sidelines until mid-late summer in 2024, his options are limited at best. The Dodgers would undoubtedly be welcomed to a reunion, but they also need to focus on the entire 162 season.
If they want to keep Kershaw, the Dodgers should consider a two-year deal that allows Kershaw to take his time and recover from shoulder surgery and plan to fully pitch in 2025, potentially the final year of his career. The Texas Rangers, fresh off their first World Series win in 2023, would probably steer clear from Kershaw this time around as they have a deep pitching staff and have two starters currently battling their own injury demons in Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
It would also not surprise me if Kershaw goes the whole winter unsigned and takes a Roger Clemens approach in free agency, signing mid-season to join a club barring no setbacks on his shoulder.
Conclusion
The Kershaw injury news changes the Dodgers’ plans drastically as now they need not only more starters but specifically a left-handed starter as the current rotation and most of the arms via trade and free agency are all right-handed. Here at DodgersBeat, we wish Kershaw a speedy recovery and hopefully see him back at the Ravine sometime in 2024.
