[ad_1]
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saw Clayton Kershaw wince every now and then as he sailed through the Milwaukee Brewers roster on Friday night and thought – hoped – he was just upset that he didn’t. have received strike calls. It turned out to be much more serious – a recurrence of the forearm / elbow inflammation that kept Kershaw out for a long time earlier this season, forcing a steep exit early in the second set.
As the playoffs approach, Kershaw’s season is seemingly over. With his contract expiring, it’s fair to wonder if Kershaw’s illustrious career with the Dodgers is over as well.
Kershaw, still in uniform moments after the Dodgers’ comeback 8-6 victory, called it a “blow”.
“It got bad enough that I couldn’t continue tonight,” Kershaw said. “I’m going to see him again, obviously, in the next few days. I haven’t quite figured it all out yet. The most important thing was that I just wanted to be part of this team until October. This team is special. You guys. saw it tonight. … I knew it. I know we’re gonna do something special this year, and I wanted to be a part of it. It’s the hardest part for me right now, it’s just to know that there is a good chance it will not be very good for October at the moment. “
Kershaw, 33, spent 10 weeks recovering from inflammation around his pitcher’s elbow, a condition that began just before the star break. He certainly tried to come back too quickly to the beginning, forcing him to methodically start the rehabilitation process again. Throughout, as the team rallied to acquire Max Scherzer, Kershaw has expressed his eagerness to contribute to a team on the brink of greatness.
His three initial starts were generally promising, consisting of a 3.29 ERA, 16 strikeouts and just two walks in 13 2/3 innings. But Kershaw battled the Brewers in what was supposed to be his last tune-up start before the playoffs. He recorded as many strikeouts as he allowed from hits (five), was charged with three earned runs and allowed five slaps that traveled over 95 mph.
Roberts came to see him alongside a trainer with an on and a top second, then led him out of the mound after a brief conversation, triggering a standing ovation from all 51,388 people in attendance.
“It was tough,” Roberts said. “It was his last home start this year. You just don’t know what the future will predict. I wanted it to be really special for him and his family, and it didn’t end like we did. ‘had hoped. But that said, we need to gather more information and see what happens next. “
Kershaw held the baseball in his hand as he made his way to the Dodgers’ third base dugout, giving the impression he was carrying a memory to commemorate what could be his last start in a Dodgers uniform.
He laughed at the idea.
“Probably just a shock,” he said. “Honestly, I had no idea I was holding the ball.”
The Dodgers’ victory kept their hopes for a ninth straight National League West title alive, but narrowly. With two regular-season games to go, they’re still two games away from the San Francisco Giants, who have won 22 of 28 games since the start of September.
The Giants (106-54) can end the division with a victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday afternoon, even before the Dodgers enter the field for their penultimate game of the regular season. The Dodgers (104-56) must win their two remaining games and the Giants must lose their two remaining games just to force a decisive game from Oracle Park to San Francisco on Monday.
More likely, the Dodgers will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday, with Scherzer set to face Adam Wainwright. If they advance, Walker Buehler and Julio Urias can be lined up to kick off the first two games of the NL Division Series against the Giants.
Kershaw, who finally won his elusive championship last October, is unlikely to be counted.
The Dodgers will know more when he undergoes further tests on Saturday.
“Obviously when Clayton has to come out of a game it doesn’t bode well,” said Roberts. “What that means, we just don’t know enough at the moment. But where we are in the calendar, with what’s left of the season, just not too optimistic at the moment.”
Kershaw was the preeminent ace of the 2010s, especially in a five-year span from 2011 to 2015 that saw him compile 88 wins, post a 2.11 ERA, an average of 226 innings and win three Cy Young Awards and an MVP. Injuries, mostly to the back, plagued him moving forward, but he continued to be among the best in the game, going 55-18 with a 2.47 ERA and 166 innings average. from 2016 to 2019.
The curtailed COVID-19 season saw Kershaw experience some sort of resurgence. His fast ball speed increased, averaging nearly 92 mph, and he had a 2.16 ERA in 58 1/3 innings through October. The Dodgers have spent most of that playoff in a makeshift bubble in Arlington, Texas, playing near Kershaw’s hometown, where several of his closest friends and family have seen him win. the championship that had eluded him all his career.
The next chapter is uncertain.
Kershaw 2021, the final year of a three-year, $ 93 million extension he signed in November 2018, will likely end with a 3.55 ERA, 144 strikeouts and 21 walks in 121 2. / 3 sleeves. Fittingly, he found a way to be very effective despite the combat injuries.
“My future is going to take care of itself,” Kershaw said. “I’m not really worried about that right now. I really wanted to be a part of the moment right now, and I wanted to be with this group until October. That was my only goal this year. got injured, it was just to come back and catch up for this month. It’s the hardest part right now is knowing that it will be a challenge to contribute to all of this next month. But for the rest, I haven’t finished my head around this, and I’m not planning on doing it any time soon. I’m just excited to watch these guys next month. “
[ad_2]
Source link