Clayton Kershaw underwent two surgeries last November, addressing both his left knee (a torn left meniscus) and his left big toe (a ruptured plantar plate). It was known that Kershaw would begin the season on the 60-day injured list and thus be sidelined until late May, but the future Hall-of-Famer shared some updates on his recovery process with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and other reporters yesterday.
Today will mark the first time since last season that Kershaw has faced hitters, as he’ll take part in a live batting practice session prior to the Dodgers’ game with the Tigers. This is the latest and most notable step in a slower ramp-up process that Kershaw said was like “going through spring training right now, basically.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but definitely getting there,” Kershaw said. “I think overall it’s good progress. I’m not going to be happy until I’m out on the mound. But I think everybody – doctors and training staff – would say I’m doing what I need to be doing.”
Despite this positive view, there isn’t yet a set timeline in place for Kershaw’s return to the L.A. rotation, apart from the loose target date of the first day he is eligible to be activated off the 60-day IL. Kershaw said the plan is to build to game action, with an eye towards being in at least a minor league rehab assignment by the time late May rolls around.
The recovery from toe surgery is the larger issue than the knee surgery, as Kershaw noted that his toe problem relates specifically to his ability to push off the rubber. “There’s been only one or two baseball players that have had this surgery” as well, adding to the fluidity in the recovery process, even if there’s no reason yet why a late May activation wouldn’t be possible.
“It’s just kind of hard to guess when it heals compared to when you feel good enough to push off a mound. Kind of the timeline I’ve said before is kind of what we’ve all decided on,” Kershaw said.
Kershaw signed a one-year deal worth $7.5MM in guaranteed money (with more than twice that amount available in incentives) to return for what will be his 18th season both in the majors and with the Dodgers. He spent last winter also recovering from back surgery, and between that rehab process and then the toe issues that surfaced later in the year, Kershaw played only a limited role in the Dodgers’ championship season. The southpaw posted a 4.50 ERA over a career-low 30 innings, and didn’t see any action in the playoffs.
Los Angeles will eventually be adopting a six-man rotation once its injured starters get healthy, though the sheer number of arms on the roster could make for quite a logjam if everyone is available. Beyond Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani is also expected to make his return to the mound this season, even if Ohtani’s pitching ramp-up is something of a mystery at this point, even as he continues to slug away as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. Tony Gonsolin is another rotation candidate on the mend, and he threw his own live BP session on Friday.
Gonsolin had a Tommy John surgery in late August 2023, and he missed all of last season despite some faint hopes that he might’ve been able to get back to action at the very end of September. This seemingly paved the way for Gonsolin to be fully ready to go for this season’s opener, but he was shelved again on the 15-day IL when he hurt his back while lifting weights this spring.
“I felt like my body was feeling great….And then to have something like that non-baseball-related [injury] really sucked, honestly,” Gonsolin told Plunkett. “I don’t really have any other words for it. But again, it’s a minor setback, and I’ll try to take this time to build back up and get into an even better position.”