AROUND THE HORN
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw will start Sunday for the Dodgers’ series finale against the rival Giants in San Francisco, manager Dave Roberts annoucned Wednesday. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and former NL MVP was placed on the injured list last month due to inflammation in his right SI joint, which connects the base of the spine to the hip bones. He hasn’t pitched since a win over the Cubs on May 7. Kershaw, 34, is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA through five starts this season, with 32 strikeouts and just three walks in 30 innings. He said earlier this week that he bounced back well from his four-inning rehab start Sunday with Class A Rancho Cucamonga. “Got some things to work on obviously, but overall to get through four innings was good,” Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times. “I think I’m ready to go.”
Twins: Star SS Carlos Correa was reinstated from the COVID-19 IL before the Twins’ home game against the Yankees on Wednesday night, a small but significant step toward restoring their depleted roster to full strength. The AL Centralleading Twins conducted a soft launch, with Correa in the lineup as the DH to face surging Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes. Correa missed eight games after testing positive while the team was in Detroit. He said his symptoms were strong, from headaches to chills to coughing. In his first season with the Twins, Correa was batting .279 with nine doubles, three HRs, 17 runs and 16 RBIs in 35 games before he got sick. Last month, Correa missed 11 games with a bruised finger. The Twins still have 13 players on the IL, and RHP Joe Ryan remains on the COVID list. Ryan is one of seven starting pitchers currently out of commission, which includes Kenta Maeda in his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery.
Braves: SS Dansby Swanson beat the Braves in salary arbitration and OF Adam Duvall lost to the club, leaving teams with a 6-3 advantage over players this year. Swanson was awarded $10 million rather than the team’s $9.2 million offer by Jeanne Charles, Richard McNeill and Scott Buccheit, who heard arguments the day before. Duvall was given the Braves’ $9,275,000 offer rather than his $10,275,000 request by Gary Kendellen, Keith Greenberg and Gil Vernon, who listened to arguments Friday. Swanson, 28, hit .248 last year, when he set career highs with 27 HRs and 88 RBIs. He had a pair of HRs and three RBIs in the World Series against the Astros, helping the Braves win their first title since 1995. Swanson made $6 million last season and is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He entered Wednesday with a .279 average, six HRs and 26 RBIs. Duvall led the NL with 113 RBIs last year for the Marlins and Braves, who acquired him July 30. The 33-year-old hit .228 with 38 HRs during the season and had two HRs and six RBIs in the World Series. He also is eligible for free agency after this season and is hitting .199 with three HRs and 18 RBIs.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth and the Tigers completed a two-game sweep of the host Pirates with a 3-1 win. Daz Cameron drove in two runs, the first with an RBI triple in the second and the second with an RBI double in the ninth to provide a little insurance for the Tigers, who bounced back after getting swept by the Yankees.