Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw will be on the roster for the NL Division Series, as expected.
More news: Dodgers Starting Rotation Revealed for Entire NLDS vs Phillies
Manager Dave Roberts revealed the left-hander will be available out of the bullpen. Kershaw was not included on the Dodgers’ Wild Card roster because he had pitched in his final regular season start just days before the playoff series began.
“He’ll be on the roster,” Roberts said of Kershaw. “He’s gonna be out of the ’pen and used as such.”
The left-hander would not have had enough rest to pitch in the Wild Card round, but as the Dodgers continue their journey through October, it’s no surprise Kershaw is back on the roster.
While Dodgers fans are used to seeing Kershaw take the mound as a starter, it appears Year 18 brings something new for the future Hall of Famer as he will likely pitch exclusively in relief during the NLDS.
The Dodgers starting rotation is set with Shohei Ohtani taking Game 1 and Blake Snell expected to take Game 2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow will be available for Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS.
The story of Kershaw in 2025 is an incredible one. The southpaw was not expected to play a pivotal role for LA this season, but emerged as a consistent starter as the rotation was decimated by injuries.
He ended the regular season sporting a 3.36 ERA with 84 strikeouts across 112.2 innings of work, finding new ways to dominate in Year 18.
The 37-year-old will look to continue being a key contributor for the Dodgers in October, only as a reliever. Kershaw made one relief appearance for the Dodgers in the regular season, tossing a flawless 15-pitch inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the ongoing struggles of the bullpen, the Dodgers will need X-factors like Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki to find success in later innings.
More news: Dodgers NLDS Schedule: How to Watch Dodgers vs Phillies
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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4 Responses
With the current Dodgers’ victory over the Cincinnati Reds. I’m happy Roberts is using Ohtani as starter for today’s Game in Philadelphia, now he can use Kershaw as a relief pitcher, then we can proceed to the next round for the NL playoffs.
Couldn’t agree more! Ohtani had five no-hit innings the last time he saw the Phillies and I am hoping we see that once again, followed by the GOAT coming out of relief
The Dodgers vs. Phillies matchup in the NLDS is the baseball fans have been waiting to see this October. It’s a tough matchup for LA, given Philadelphia’s plethora of lefties, but if they advance, I don’t see any other team beating the Dodgers.
Hopefully so! I’d like to see Shohei go as deep as possible to keep the bullpen for the upcoming games as well.