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In baseball, all the time is borrowed. Clayton Kershaw understands this better than anyone. You could hear it in his voice as he lamented every missed opportunity in the playoffs. He knew that at some point he wouldn’t stand a chance. You could see it on his face in the depths of October, when he swallowed the pains that ran down his back, shoulder, or hip. He knew that at some point his body would betray him. He was running against the clock. Every untitled year only meant more sand at the bottom of the hourglass.
There were so many reasons why Kershaw was overjoyed last October when the Dodgers finally won the World Series. He had exorcised demons. He had held his end of the bargain for his teammates. And he had beaten the clock. Because he understood that at some point he could face a night like Friday, when pain in his left arm forced him to leave the mound at Dodger Stadium and head for an uncertain future.
It has already broken down. But never so late in the season, on the cusp of the playoffs, with little chance of coming back before the end. He seemed resigned as he prepared to make the playoffs as an observer. His animation focus the past few months, as he recovered from an inflammation around his pitching elbow, was to help this moment. He was not used to such a failure.
“I know we’re going to do something special this year, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Kershaw said. “That’s the hardest part for me right now, it’s just knowing that there’s a good chance it won’t be very good for October.”
Kershaw is 33 years old. Rehabilitation for elbow reconstruction lasts 12 to 15 months. If he needed surgery, he would miss the entirety of 2022. He wouldn’t throw another big league pitch until he celebrated his 35th birthday. He will be a free agent this winter.
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