Kershaw plays catch, return still uncertain
Six days after he strained his lower back, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw played catch before Friday’s game against the Giants. Earlier in the week, manager Dave Roberts had said Kershaw would not throw until he no longer felt pain in his back. Roberts could draw only one conclusion from Kershaw’s pregame session.
“I guess he’s asymptomatic,” Roberts said. “He came in yesterday and felt really good. The medication, obviously, he responded to. For him to get the go-ahead to start playing catch again, I think that’s ahead of what we all anticipated. I’m going to be cautiously optimistic.”
The Dodgers have not revealed a timetable for Kershaw’s absence. The initial prognosis was four to six weeks, according to people familiar with the situation. Kershaw pushed back at that revelation, and Roberts said Kershaw could return earlier than that.
Even so, the team is aware of what happened last summer, when Kershaw hurried back from a herniated disk. He suffered a setback in July that kept him on the shelf until early September. With the Dodgers holding a comfortable lead in the National League West, Kershaw’s presence in the regular season is not imperative. But it will be in October.
Roberts expects to speak with Kershaw on an almost daily basis to gauge Kershaw’s recovery. He hopes Kershaw will be honest with him and the medical staff about his symptoms.
“Players intrinsically have that in them, where they feel like they can overcome adversities, that they’re in a better spot physically or mentally than they might be,” Roberts said. “With Clayton’s eagerness to get back, we take it with a mild grain of salt.”
Kershaw indicated on Wednesday that he hoped to make “a few” starts before the playoffs began, and he expected to be able to do so. But he also expressed his eagerness to get back as quickly as possible.
“That’s why we were all reluctant to put a timetable out there.” Roberts said. “Everybody reacts differently to rest, medication. And so to box anyone in a corner just doesn’t make sense.”
Farmer up, Dayton to disabled list
The Dodgers called up Kyle Farmer, a catcher batting .316 for triple-A Oklahoma City, before Friday’s game. The team will carry three catchers for the time being. Farmer allows Roberts the ability to utilize Austin Barnes earlier in games as a pinch-hitter. Barnes carried a .952 onbase-plus-slugging percentage into Friday’s game.
To make room on the roster, the team placed lefthanded reliever Grant Dayton on the 10-day disabled list again because of neck stiffness. The Dodgers are looking to add relievers before the trade deadline on Monday.
Short hops
Andre Ethier (herniated disk) and Adrian Gonzalez (herniated disk) took batting practice on Friday afternoon. Gonzalez could begin a rehabilitation assignment next week. Ethier is not expected to rejoin the team until September . . . The Dodgers acquired pitcher Luke Farrell, the son of Boston manager John Farrell, for cash considerations from Kansas City. Adam Liberatore (elbow strain) was placed on the 60-day disabled list to clear a space on the 40-man roster for Farrell.