The left-right combination sure to slug its way to the forefront for the remainder of summer could help the Los Angeles Dodgers return to October’s main event.
If the Dodgers are going to set themselves up for a chance at becoming the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three consecutive titles at the turn of the century, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani are expected to have a prominent role.
Both pitchers have already returned to a starting rotation that was in dire need of healthy bodies two months ago and is now about to become an All-Star cast that could stretch across an entire week of games for manager Dave Roberts.
Whether Roberts resorts to a full six-man rotation remains to be seen, but after everything he has been through as Dodgers manager—while trying to piece together a pitching staff for October—the temptation must be strong.
Being deliberate with Kershaw and Ohtani is understandable.
At 37 and in his 18th major league season, Kershaw is just 10 starts into his return from offseason toe and knee procedures. Bone spurs and other wear-and-tear issues in his toe prevented the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner from participating in last year’s postseason.
Through 50 2/3 innings, Kershaw is up to his old tricks even with reduced velocity from his prime. He has leaned into command and change of speed to thwart opponents.
Kershaw enters the post-break portion of the schedule with a 4-1 record and a 3.38 ERA. He has averaged just 3.5 strikeouts per start, but one of his biggest came earlier this month when he reached 3,000 in his storied career.
In the aftermath of becoming just the fourth left-hander to reach the strikeout milestone, Kershaw expressed gratitude for being a high-level contributor to a successful organization for nearly two decades.
“I think as you get older, you appreciate (being in) one organization a little bit more,” Kershaw said. “The Dodgers have stuck with me, too. It hasn’t been all roses, I know that.
“So there’s just a lot of mutual respect, I think, and I’m super grateful now, looking back, to get to say that I spent my whole career here and I will spend my whole career here. I have a lot more appreciation for it now, for sure.”
It’s a sentiment that shows just how much Kershaw would savor another run through the playoffs while on the mound.
Ohtani has experienced the postseason once, and the injury element was front and center last year—his first under a 10-year, $700 million deal with Los Angeles. He wasn’t available as a pitcher because of Tommy John surgery in 2023, then injured his left shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series. That injury required offseason surgery.
Over the final three games of the World Series, Ohtani had just one hit, but the Dodgers had enough momentum by then to wrap up the title.
Now comes a chance to both hit and pitch in the playoffs—a package he has never been able to fully showcase in October during his seven previous major league seasons.
The club has slow-played his return to the mound so significantly that Ohtani has made five starts in a Los Angeles uniform and only advanced to three innings in his most recent outing this past weekend at San Francisco.
As the top team in the National League West for much of the first half, the Dodgers can afford to be patient. Having Ohtani at full strength on the mound by October has always been the goal.
He is expected to stay on a one-start-per-week schedule as the rotation finally starts to take the shape envisioned by the front office. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow, another pitcher unavailable for last year’s postseason, returned from a shoulder injury last week. Left-hander Blake Snell, who has made just two starts since signing in the offseason, is due back from his own shoulder issue soon.
The Dodgers also have starters like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan available.
“I guess the good thing is, as guys start to come back to health, we have some tougher (rotation) decisions to make—but that’s obviously a good problem to have,” Roberts said.
Whatever the Dodgers can do to get Ohtani and Kershaw to the finish line will not only be a key goal—it will be as captivating as anything they do down the stretch and into the playoffs during their repeat attempt.
