Nothing against the good people of Rancho Cucamonga, but as much as Clayton Kershaw is itching to pitch again, the Dodgers left-hander may not be too keen to take the mound next week for the Class A Quakes’ game against the Inland Empire at Lawn Mart Field.
“I’m not excited. I don’t think anybody’s excited about a rehab start,” Kershaw said Thursday after throwing 45 pitches over three innings against hitters in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium. “But it’s a necessary evil. It’s something that has to be done.”
“It’s good, I can practice, but I need to get used to the game atmosphere. It might be long innings, some things you can’t simulate here, so this is just the next step in the process.”
That may seem like a slight downplay, but it’s a big step for Kershaw, the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner who underwent surgery on Nov. 3 to repair the glenohumeral ligament and capsule in his throwing shoulder.
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The Dodgers had hoped the 36-year-old Kershaw would return by early August, possibly by late July, but if he continues his recovery at his current pace without any setbacks, he could be back around the All-Star break.
“He’s way more advanced than we expected,” manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday night’s series finale against the Texas Rangers. “He’s unique in terms of body, mind, mindset, work ethic, and of course, Dr. [Neal] “El Atlache has done a fantastic job. He has exceeded my personal expectations.”
Kershaw has had numerous serious injuries during his 16 major league seasons, including seven on the disabled list, but he had never had surgery until last year, so it’s hard to say whether he’s ahead or behind schedule.
“I’m where I should be,” Kershaw said. “So far, everything’s going well. No setbacks. Again, I’ve never had surgery. I don’t really know how it’s going to go. People say there are good times and bad times, but I really haven’t had any bad times…”
“So far, everything is in place, but I’m not getting my hopes up just yet. A lot can happen in the next few weeks, but if all goes well, I’m definitely looking forward to returning.”
Pitching coach Mark Pryor said Kershaw’s fastball was clocked at 88-89 mph on Thursday, “which is pretty normal for what he’s been doing live thus far.” [batting-practice] “In the session, his control was good in both bats. He was sharp. He had some liveliness in the zone. Once he gets used to the match environment, his velocity will return to its natural state.”
Kershaw showed off his usual four-seam, slider and curveball on Thursday, mixing in a two-seam sinking fastball and a changeup. Could Kershaw return to the Dodgers with that five-pitch combination?
“It’ll probably be around 4 1/4. We’ll see,” said a smiling Kershaw, who has struggled over the years to master a fourth pitch. “Right now is a good time to try out different pitches and so far it’s going well, but when the lights come on things change, so we’ll see.”
If Kershaw had a normal spring training, he would be in a pre-exhibition phase “like the second week of camp, batting in games,” Pryor said. That means Kershaw will likely need to make at least four or five minor league rehab appearances over the next four weeks before he’s ready to return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
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“We’ve had plenty of experience with surgical repair, but the shoulder is a completely different animal than Tommy John surgery. [surgeries]”We’re doing elbow ligament replacement,” Pryor said of the procedure. [Tommy Johns]About 12 to 14 months.
“Everybody’s shoulder is different, but I think he’s doing really well and has been fortunate to get to this point. If it continues like this, I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised that it’s a little sooner. We’re all cautiously optimistic about where he’s at.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto played catch and did some long tosses in the outfield before completing his usual bullpen session between starts on Thursday afternoon, preparing to become the right-handed pitcher who will start Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals.
Yamamoto was originally scheduled to pitch Thursday night against the Rangers, but after throwing a season-high 106 pitches and holding the Yankees to just two hits and seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over the Yankees on June 7 in New York, the Dodgers postponed his appearance until Saturday to give him two extra days of rest.
“It was an emotional game,” Roberts said of Yamamoto, who is 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 13 starts with 83 strikeouts and 16 walks in 72 innings. “If we give him a couple of extra days and have him back on Saturday, he should be fine.”
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This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
