The 17th season will be the charm for Clayton Kershaw.
Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Tuesday that the veteran lefty Kershaw has decided to return for another season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bob Nightengale of USA Today adds that the two sides are in agreement on a one-year deal to continue their partnernship.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner Kershaw underwent surgery on his shoulder in early September and is not expected to be ready to pitch again until the second half of next season at the earliest. But Sherman also notes that the Dodgers, starting on Feb. 8, can put a player on the 60-day injured list without using up a 40-man roster spot, which may be what they do here with Kershaw.
About to turn 36 next month, Kershaw was still very effective for the Dodgers last regular season, going 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and making the tenth All-Star team of his illustrious career. But Kershaw’s notorious playoff struggles reared their ugly head again during the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks as he suffered a historical beatdown in Game 1 that set the tone for the 100-win Dodgers to stunningly get swept in the series.
We know now though that a shoulder injury may have been in part to blame for Kershaw’s implosion. While he considered retirement and even the possibility of signing with a different team this offseason, Kershaw will return to the Dodgers and try to end his career on a better note. Come the summer, he should be back in an improved rotation that also now features newcomers Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and James Paxton.
