With Clayton Kershaw on the DL, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be without their ace for some time. How long Kershaw will be out, though, remains unknown, even to Kershaw.
Kershaw did note that he hopes he can play catch soon.
Clayton Kershaw said he was unsure how much time he will miss on the disabled list. He hoped to be cleared to play catch soon.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) May 8, 2018
That’s probably a good sign. If Kershaw was in serious pain and felt he’d be out for a while, getting cleared for catch likely wouldn’t be on his mind.
The sooner Kershaw is cleared to play catch (and eventually return), the better it’ll be for the Dodgers and their fans. If Kershaw is forced to miss any significant time, it will likely take him at least a few starts to get back into his typical groove.
Kershaw was put on the DL on Sunday with biceps tendinitis. His record sits at a poor 1-4, but Kershaw threw well in his seven starts before going to the DL. He has a 2.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 44 innings.
One somewhat troubling thing is that Kershaw’s fastball velocity has been down. Per Fangraphs, Kershaw has averaged 91.1 MPH on his fastball in 2018. That’s down from his 2017 average (92.7) and career mark (93.1).