Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — It’s a tough day for Dodgers fans. After holding out hope for weeks, it’s now official: Clayton Kershaw won’t be returning for the postseason. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the news, stating, “We’re closing the door… Clayton has done everything he can… But where he’s at right now, physically, the foot, the toe just is not cooperating. It’s actually getting worse.”
Since Clayton injured his toe at the end of August, it was hoped that he could somehow work his way back to at least being considered for a roster spot if the Dodgers went deeper into October. Now, that’s gone.
“It was getting pretty mentally exhausting, trying to pitch,” he told reporters before Saturday’s game with the Padres. “I got an MRI and I made it worse. There’s no point at this point to keep going. It’s super frustrating.”
Kershaw’s comeback from surgery never got off the ground this year. He made only seven starts before getting lit up in a game against the Diamondbacks that put an end to his season. His stat line for 2024 is very un-Kersh-like: 30.0 IP, 2-2, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 ERA.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially after such an up-and-down season. Losing Kershaw, a postseason staple, feels like a gut punch. Here’s hoping the team can still rally without him.
And what will become of the best left-hander of his generation? It’s too early to say, but one wonders if the disappointing ending to the last two seasons will nudge him toward a well-deserved retirement, or will it fuel him for another return?
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