Clayton Kershaw won't pitch for the Dodgers in playoffs after big toe injury fails to heal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw, sidelined since late August with a toe injury, won’t pitch again this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“This is it for Clayton for 2024,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday before Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

A 36-year-old left-hander, Kershaw is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star. He didn't pitch until July 25 after having offseason shoulder surgery. He went on the injured list Aug. 31 with a bone spur in his left big toe.

“Clayton has done everything he can to keep this thing moving forward and giving himself a chance to participate in the postseason,” Roberts said. “But where he’s at right now, physically, the foot, the toe just is not cooperating. It’s actually getting worse.”

Kershaw had been left off the Dodgers' NLDS roster earlier Saturday before Roberts confirmed that his season was over.

“It's not getting better so I can’t pitch,” he said during batting practice Saturday.

Kershaw was asked if needs surgery, which he initially said he had been told wouldn't be necessary.

“It’s definitely in the conversation,” he said, “but I haven’t solidified anything yet, but there’s a chance I might need to fix it.”

Because of his toe, Kershaw couldn’t pitch the way he wanted to and other areas of his body were overcompensating for it.

“I had to keep my arm going,” he said. “By doing that, I probably made this worse but I had to try it.”

Kershaw was 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts.

He had been eager to redeem himself after last year’s stunning postseason debacle. Kershaw got hammered by Arizona in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, giving up six hits and six runs in the first inning.

His postseason ERA is 4.22 over 194 innings pitched. His regular-season ERA of 2.48 is the best of any MLB pitcher with at least 1,500 innings pitched since 1920.

“It stinks he’s not going to be able to pitch for us,” catcher Will Smith said. “He’ll be here every day I know cheering us on, being in the clubhouse, helping us out whatever way he can.”

Kershaw signed a one-year contract in February plus a 2025 player option worth $5 million. He said he'll consider his future in the offseason.

“I don’t want to keep getting hurt all the time, it’s not fun to do that, but I also really love to pitch, too,” he said. “Just got to weigh everything.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Beth Harris, The Associated Press