The Los Angeles Dodgers announced yesterday that Clayton Kershaw will start against the San Diego Padres on Friday. It will be his first start since facing off against the Braves on July 23.
Kershaw was placed on the disabled list on July 24 with a lower back strain. When he was shelved he had a 15-2 record with a 2.04 ERA and a 168/24 K/BB ratio in 141.1 innings. I guess he still does.
The Dodgers obviously don’t need him to win the NL West, but they’d obviously still like to get Kershaw some starts in during the season’s last month to tune him up for the playoffs. Assuming all is well with his back, his absence -- while probably costing him a Cy Young Award -- may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise, giving him a lot of rest before the pressures of the playoffs.
