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Clayton Kershaw’s latest back injury not as bad as last year’s, but timetable for return to Dodgers still unclear ^{Comments Off on Clayton Kershaw’s latest back injury not as bad as last year’s, but timetable for return to Dodgers still unclear}

by Bill Plunkett • Real Estate News • Tags: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Sports, The OC Register on July 24, 2017

LOS ANGELES – There were clouds hanging over Dodger Stadium Monday. It might take four to six weeks for them to clear.

“If you look at our club and what’s in place – we’re going to keep winning baseball games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after learning that he would be without his ace – again – for an undetermined length of time. “We’ve been here before. We’re definitely better with Clayton (Kershaw). But we’re going to keep winning baseball games and keep this ship going for his return.”

The Dodgers are “reluctant” to put a timetable on when Kershaw might return but Roberts confidently said “we do know Clayton will be back.”

Roberts’ confidence is based on the results of Monday’s examination of Kershaw’s back. The pain that forced him out of the game after two innings Sunday is being classified as a lower back strain – a muscular injury that “wasn’t a disc issue,” Roberts said. Last summer, Kershaw spent 75 days on the DL with a herniated disc in his back. This time, the prognosis is “much better,” according to Roberts who acknowledged a re-occurrence of the disc injury “was our biggest concern.”

“Actually that was still where it needed to be and was continuing to heal,” Roberts said.

Roberts tacitly endorsed estimates of a four- to six-week recovery time for Kershaw – a timetable that would put Kershaw back on the mound in September — but said the Dodgers are “reluctant” to put any specific timetable on it. The medical staff, back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins (who examined Kershaw this year and last), front office representatives, Roberts and Kershaw were expected to meet Monday “as a group” to form “a plan of attack” for Kershaw’s recovery, Roberts said.

“With Clayton, medicine and his desire, anything can happen,” Roberts said.

The unexpected happened when Kershaw went to the DL with his disc injury last season. The Dodgers went 38-24 without him, gaining 13 games in the standings – from eight games behind the San Francisco Giants to five games clear of the division.

This time, the Dodgers are “way better” positioned to absorb Kershaw’s loss, closer Kenley Jansen said. Going into Monday’s games, the Dodgers led the National League West by 10 ½ games and had the best record in baseball (68-31) by 2 ½ games over the Houston Astros.

“I think it definitely kind of helps,” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said of last year’s ace-less experience. “Obviously no one’s going to replace him taking the ball every fifth day.

“It’s different circumstances. Last year I think we were down 10 games. This year we’re up 10. I think knowing the way we responded and the way we played last year in his absence makes it a little easier pill to swallow. But you never want to not have him take the ball every fifth day. We’ve talked about it all year long – the depth the front office has created and how guys tend to step right up and fill in roles. That’s what we expect to do.”

Nonetheless, when he saw Kershaw come out of Sunday’s game with a back injury, Jansen had the same reaction as most Dodgers fans.

“Any time when something happens to Kersh, you’re going to feel sick in your stomach,” Jasnen said. “That’s how I feel. I guarantee you all the people feel the same. You don’t want anything to happen to him.

“The best way for us to pick him up is to keep playing the way we’re playing now and that is as the best team in the major leagues,” Jansen said.

Some would say there’s a better way – go out and acquire a front-of-the-rotation starter like Yu Darvish or Sonny Gray before next Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline. Even before Kershaw’s injury, the Dodgers have been linked prominently with Darvish, the Texas Rangers right-hander who might or might not be available — depending on how much you’re willing to pay for a player who can become a free agent this winter and whether the Rangers consider themselves in the wild-card race.

“It’s not my job to do that,” Jansen said when asked if he would advise the front office to make that move. Then, he pulled the trigger on a deal.

“Why not? I would say – why not? … Everybody wants luxury in their life. Everybody wants to drive one day a Ferrari – so why not if you can get a guy like Yu Darvish? But it’s not our decision. We know we have a great team. We believe this team can do the job and win a World Series.”

Immediately after losing Kershaw to the herniated disc last season, the Dodgers acquired Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves. A month after that, they sent three pitching prospects to the Oakland A’s in a deal for Rich Hill (and outfielder Josh Reddick). Speculating on what the front office might do in response to Kershaw’s injury this year is “a waste of time,” Turner said.

“That’s not our job. Our job is to show up and win games every night,” Turner said. “They’re probably trying to figure out what’s the best thing to do for the team and whatever that is we’ll continue to try to play good baseball and make a run into the postseason.

“That’s the beauty of baseball and I say this over and over again. It doesn’t matter what it says on paper, who you have or don’t have. You still have to go out there and win games. There’s no recipe on how to do this. If you look at the history of the game, sometimes the team with all the best players wins, sometimes they don’t. That doesn’t matter. It’s about showing up and finding a way to win a game every single night.”

ALSO

Along with Kershaw, the Dodgers placed right-hander Brandon McCarthy on the DL due to the blister issues he is having on his pitching hand. Outfielder Trayce Thompson was also sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. In their places, the Dodgers added left-handers Hyun-Jin Ryu (off the DL) and Edward Paredes and right-hander Josh Ravin (from the OKC Dodgers).