Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who is known for being a great teammate, had two Dodger pitchers stay at his home during the postseason.
The Dodgers ended up relying on a good deal of young arms during the 2025 season, especially during the regular season, as injuries piled up throughout the bullpen and rotation.
Out of the injury crisis emerged two gems for the Dodgers, Emmet Sheehan and Jack Dreyer, both of whom had sustained bright spots for the team.
Sheehan was much more heralded than Dreyer, who was an undrafted player, but both battled their own set of setbacks to make the big leagues and contribute to the 2025 World Champions.
2025 was Clayton Kershaw’s final season as a major leaguer, ending his prolific career while still producing quality outings.
Over the last few years, Kershaw has racked up injuries from the wear and tear of being an ace for over a decade, and he has been a key veteran presence for the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw lends a helping hand
The southpaw was a Dodger lifer, and as he saw the end of his career coming, he seemingly wanted to make sure he passed along any possible assistance to the next wave of Dodger arms.
Thus, according to an amazing story by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Kershaw hosted Dreyer and Sheehan at his Los Angeles home during the postseason.
“His Los Angeles home was empty, with his wife, Ellen, and four children having already returned to Texas for the start of the school year over the final few months of the regular season,” Ardaya wrote in his feature story.
“So Kershaw reached out to a pair of young Dodgers pitchers. The left-hander had championed Emmet Sheehan since he was an ascendant rookie in 2023, and now Sheehan had returned from Tommy John surgery and was thriving.
“Jack Dreyer had gone from undrafted to unheralded to one of the best relievers on a superteam as a rookie. Both players planned to stay at a hotel for the rest of the season, until Kershaw, whom they greatly admired, invited them to stay with him.
“Over a handful of nights out by the beach and evenings spent by the fire pit, Kershaw connected with teammates a decade his junior. They talked about life as much as they did baseball.”
The two young pitchers, who undoubtedly grew up idolizing Kershaw, were left shocked by how welcoming Kershaw was during the moment.
“It was kind of surreal,” Dreyer said to Ardaya.
“He treated you like a teammate and like a peer and not like a little kid,” Sheehan added. “Which he could have.”
Even as Kershaw moves into a media role and becomes more of a consistent presence with his family, the greatest Dodgers pitcher of all time is leaving a lasting impact.
