By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw has been moved to the 60-day disabled list, an acknowledgment that he will not pitch for the Dodgers until their final series of August at the earliest.
Kershaw last pitched for the Dodgers on June 26. He seemed to be on the road to a rapid recovery from a herniated disc until a July 16 bullpen session, when he had a setback.
The 28-year-old lefty is now eligible to come off the disabled list August 26, though he would need to make rehab starts before he rejoins the active roster.
Kershaw still leads the Major Leagues in several categories, including ERA (1.79), WHIP (0.73) and strikeout-walk ratio (16.1, an MLB-record pace). With 121 innings, he’ll hold those distinctions until the Dodgers play their 122nd game of the season August 20.
However, Kershaw’s lead in wins above replacement among pitchers could linger longer. He is at 5.5, nearly a full win ahead of Miami’s Jose Fernandez (4.6).
Don Bright
Would be amazing if somehow he came back, and did enough to win the Cy Young award still. But frankly, just want him coming back, because I can’t see Dodgers even winning WC game, let alone a playoff series without him.