Clayton Kershaw has been one of the best pitchers in baseball for the past several years, so no one would call him overly ambitious if his goal for the 2017 season was to win the N.L. Cy Young Award. However, the left-hander is focused on something a bit more simple — staying on the field.
On Wednesday, Kershaw told reporters his goal coming out of spring training will be to not miss a start.
Clayton Kershaw says his goal for 2017 is to make every start. The Dodgers would like that.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) February 15, 2017
Kershaw has actually been quite durable in his nine major league seasons. He has made 30 or more starts in six of eight seasons since he was a rookie, but it’s the 21 he made in 2016 that has him extra motivated.
Kershaw was shut down for more than two months starting in late June last season because of a back injury. He returned in early September and was dominant down the stretch, helping the Dodgers hold off the Giants to win the NL West. However, one of the remarks he made after returning made it clear that Kershaw hated not being able to pitch.
The important thing for the Dodgers is having Kershaw healthy for the playoffs, but they also need him to help them get there. If faced with another situation like the one they had in 2016, having Kershawn miss some starts would be a no-brainer.
