By now every Dodger fan on the planet has heard that future first-ballot Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw made his first rehab start with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on Wednesday. If you haven’t, you can leave your Dodger hat at the door on the way out.
In his 3.0-inning start, the Dallas, TX native and Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2006 out of Highland Park High School in Dallas allowed no runs and two hits while walking none and striking out two, doing so on 30 total pitches of which 22 were strikes. His fastball topped out at 89 mph.
(OKC Comets)
“I know he’s probably happy with the uptick in velocity,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Wednesday. “The toe is the last part of it. The body feels good, the arm feels good, and so just getting that left toe, the drive foot, is the last piece. But talking to the training staff, they said he felt pretty good.”
The hope all along has been that Kershaw would re-join the team when he is eligible to come off the IL in late May, but this might be more wishful thinking that realistic. Then again, it is Clayton Kershaw we’re talking about here.
Although reports indicate that Kersh’s left shoulder is at – or near – 100 percent, he recently said that his left big toe was still a bit behind in the recovery process.
Regardless, it’s hard not to get – or be – excited with this latest news about Kershaw, who needs only 32 more strikeout to hit the coveted 3,000 career strikeout mark.
Play Ball!
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