Rays at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andrew Toles, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw can’t limbo, so he’s still in limbo.
That’s today’s scoop, or lack thereof, on the injured Dodger ace, who has now gone one full month since he last pitched before landing on the disabled list with a herniated disc.
Kershaw was eyeing a fast return until he had a setback following a bullpen session July 16, when something “didn’t feel quite right.”
“All I can say is I’m doing everything I possibly can to get back, obviously,” Kershaw said. “I trust the trainers and coaches to get me there.”
Kershaw said that he had a personal timetable for his return before he was forced to press pause, but that now his view is more open-ended and centers around checking off recovery milestones when he can, so that he can still have “an impact on this season” for the Dodgers.
“There’s a lot of gray area, I guess would be the right way to say it,” he said. “You just have to go based on your symptoms. I didn’t have any pain leading up to when I pitched. Then I pitched, and I felt pain again, so now I just have to wait until I don’t feel pain again.
“As of today, I did all my core work, and knocked it out today. Today I made it. On to tomorrow.”
The only saving grace for the fiercely competitive Kershaw has been that the Dodgers have gone 15-8 in his absence.
“It has been so fun to watch, man,” he said. “It’s not easy watching the games on TV, but these guys really make me want to be a part of it, just the way these guys are playing. It’s a great team — it really is. One of the closest teams that I’ve been a part of.
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