Clayton Kershaw Continues To Ramp Up For 2023

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a bit short-handed at the moment when it comes to pitching.

They lost several quality arms in free agency and won’t be able to have Walker Buehler anytime soon.

Now, Tony Gonsolin won’t be ready for the start of the season with an ankle sprain.

Having Clayton Kershaw healthy and ready for a normal workload has become an A1 priority in LA.

Fortunately, the oft-injured left-hander seems to be trending in the right direction.

“Clayton Kershaw’s second Cactus League start: 4 1/3 innings, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks, 2 R (2 solo home runs), 75 pitches,” Dodgers Insider tweeted.

Clayton Kershaw’s second Cactus League start: 4 1/3 innings, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks, 2 R (2 solo home runs), 75 pitches.

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) March 17, 2023

The results weren’t perfect – allowing two home runs in a 4.1-inning start is less than ideal – but the fact he is already stretched out to 75 pitches should be the main takeaway here.

That’s an ideal scenario for the Dodgers because it means he will be ready to reach around 90 pitches when it’s his turn to pitch in the regular season.

Kershaw remains elite at 34 years old: last season, he made 22 starts and covered 126.1 quality innings.

He went 12-3 with an excellent 2.28 ERA, 137 strikeouts, and a 0.94 WHIP.

Kershaw is, without a doubt, the greatest pitcher of his generation and we are lucky to have witnessed a marvelous career.

He is entering the season with a clean bill of health after suffering back and forearm issues in recent years.

The Dodgers, more than ever, need him to remain healthy and to resemble the pitcher he has been for his entire career.

He is absolutely capable of the latter.

Will the former become a reality?

NEXT: 
Dodgers Manager Shares Definitive Tony Gonsolin Update