Clayton Kershaw is building strength in hopes of being ready to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day, and the left-hander took another step in the right direction on Thursday.
For the second time since he experienced discomfort in his throwing shoulder last month, Kershaw threw a bullpen session. While he did not use his curveball at all, it seemed to go well.
Clayton Kershaw threw 31 pitches in his bullpen session. No curveballs. He looked happy after.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) March 14, 2019
The Dodgers have not formally announced an Opening Day starter, and it would not be a surprise if they decided to play it safe with Kershaw. Roberts acknowledged that the ace might not be ready for the start of the season, but the positive updates over the past week have been a good sign.
Kershaw has not thrown more than 200 innings in a season since 2016, and his velocity was way down last year. Despite that, he still finished with a 2.73 ERA last season in 26 starts, and the Dodgers felt confident enough in his health to sign him to a three-year, $93 million extension back in November. He has downplayed the latest issues with his shoulder, but it will be worth monitoring.
