Dodgers Manager Doesn’t Sense Urgency From Clayton Kershaw to Sign
Dave Roberts has never entered a season as the Dodgers’ manager without Clayton Kershaw in his starting rotation. He isn’t eager to do so in 2024.
“I talked to Clayton a few days ago by way of text,” Roberts said Saturday. “His rehab has come along really well. You know us. We’re going to keep in contact during talks. He’s always been a Dodger. That’s our hope as well.”
Capping off a 5-minute scrum with reports at the team’s annual Fan Fest, Roberts was then asked whether he senses Kershaw – who remains a free agent after spending the last 16 years with the Dodgers — would prefer to sign a contract sooner or later.
“I think his party right now is, ‘dominate the rehab process and get something done when it makes sense’,” Roberts said.
Kershaw had shoulder surgery in November, capping a 2023 season which saw him go 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA. The season ended on a sour note when Kershaw lost Game 1 of the National League Division Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He allowed six runs in that game while recording only one out.
It came as no surprise weeks later when Kershaw announced on his Instagram account that he had surgery on the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder. A shoulder injury cost him the entire month of July and clearly robbed him of velocity down the stretch.
The injury did not diminish Kershaw’s effectiveness over his final eight starts of the regular season. He went 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 36.1 innings, suggesting there was still plenty in the 35-year-old’s tank.
In announcing his surgery, Kershaw said that he was “hopeful” to play “at some point” this summer. In a December interview with AM-570, he said his rehab was going well. He also acknowledged the abrupt end to the 2023 season was motivating him to return.
“I think the competitor in me doesn’t want it to end the way it did,” he said. “I want to win. I want to win another World Series. I think that all played into it.”
For all Kershaw’s eagerness, Roberts’ comments Saturday suggest the pitcher is in no hurry to sign a contract. That means the Dodgers might have to be patient to learn where Kershaw wants to pitch in 2024 — assuming his shoulder allows — and begin the new season with his contract status unresolved.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Saturday that the “door is open” for Kershaw to return to Los Angeles. Any time Kershaw wants to walk through would be just fine by his manager.
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