EAGER TO THROW HIMSELF INTO IT
Kershaw joins team, continues to ramp up amid optimism for late-season return.
CINCINNATI — The distance between Clayton Kershaw and his intended target extended beyond 150 feet. As he stood in the outfield of Great American Ball Park on Friday afternoon, hours before the Dodgers’ 9-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, he raised his right leg and lunged forward to fling a baseball toward Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis.
Kershaw resembled, inside the contained environment of a game of catch, the pitcher who has dominated the National League for so many years.
Sidelined for nearly two months due to a herniated disk, Kershaw met the Dodgers along the banks of the Ohio River. A timetable for his return remains elusive. But Kershaw continues to create optimism that he will take the mound for the Dodgers before this season ends.
“We’ve got a good plan in place to where I feel like I can contribute,” Kershaw said. “And, hopefully, if I’m pitching well enough, make a difference. Or, at least, help out.”
Kershaw (11-2, 1.79 earned-run average) declined to reveal many de-
tails from the plan, but his immediate schedule calls for a 20-to-25-pitch bullpen session Saturday and a 40to-45-pitch session Tuesday. Kershaw has not pitched in a game since June 26. He has not thrown off a mound since he rushed into a simulated outing on July 16, which triggered a recurrence of discomfort in his back.
Earlier this week, Manager Dave Roberts expressed hope that Kershaw could make two or three starts during the regular season. Kershaw needs to rebuild the stamina necessary to last six or seven innings, which would likely require a series of minor league rehabilitation outings. He will not repeat his original strategy for beating the injury.
“I gave it a shot the first time,” Kershaw said. “We were all pretty aggressive with the whole thing. And I didn’t really have any signs that it was going to backfire. But it did. So now we go with the conservative approach.”
The team fashioned a similar course for the repair of a blister on Rich Hill’s left finger. Acquired from Oakland on Aug. 1, Hill has yet to throw a pitch for the Dodgers. Hill hopes that will change next week.
Hill indicated he is scheduled to start Wednesday against San Francisco at Dodger Stadium. He threw 78 pitches in a simulated outing at the Camelback Ranch spring training complex in Arizona on Thursday evening. He reported no issues with his finger, which has kept him out of action since the blister ruptured on July 17.
“I felt great,” Hill said. “The ball came out very good. The velocity maintained. The curveball was extremely sharp.”
Like Kershaw, Hill flew to Cincinnati on Friday. Unlike Kershaw, his presence on the field could be felt in the immediate future. Hill posted a 2.25 earned-run average in 14 starts with the Athletics, and could headline a Kershaw-less Dodgers rotation.
When it comes to his starters, Roberts declined to tip his hand beyond Sunday, when Julio Urias will pitch. The team could push Kenta Maeda back a day and use Scott Kazmir on regular rest in Monday’s series finale against the Reds. Kazmir has struggled against San Francisco this season, and Maeda has been the Dodgers’ most reliable starter in Kershaw’s absence.
When will Kershaw’s absence end? He said he is pain-free, but admitted he felt “some reservations” given the uncertainty of recovering from an injury. Roberts framed the team’s mind-set as “cautiously optimistic.”
“He feels good,” Roberts said. “So we expect him to pass each mark.”
After the Dodgers shut Kershaw down in July, the mood around him was bleak. Roberts admitted last month there was an increased chance Kershaw might require season-ending surgery. Citing Kershaw’s request for privacy, the team declined to provide substantive updates on his recovery.
The conversation became more upbeat last week as Kershaw played catch on consecutive days at Dodger Stadium. With his core muscles and back muscle sufficiently strengthened, he has amplified his activity.
Kershaw bounced around the clubhouse in the hours before Friday’s game, reveling in a return to the environment. He had felt agitated by his inability to contribute to the team’s push for October.
On Friday, his presence offered another reason for hope for his club.
And on Saturday, he’ll stand atop a mound again, taking another stride toward his comeback. The Dodgers will measure his progress in increments, with an organization’s worth of fingers crossed in hopes of good luck.
“So far, so good,” Kershaw said. “It’s the whole one-step-at-a-time thing. But I’m optimistic.”