Dodgers injury updates: Latest on Kershaw, Yamamoto, Flaherty

This story has been updated with new information

The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured its 11th NL West title in the last 12 years and now will begin its official preparations for the postseason.

Shohei Ohtani and the strong lineup behind him provide enough confidence that the Dodgers could be productive at the plate and stay competitive in any game but there are some doubts about what the team can put on the mound.

Ohtani is the highest-paid player on the payroll because of his ability as a hitter and a pitcher but he's unlikely to pitch for the Dodgers during the postseason.

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The Dodgers' pitchers have been plagued with injuries all season long, including one of the team's most-tenured pitchers among others.

Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow has missed time this season with an elbow injury and remains unlikely for the playoffs.

"I think there are somethings I can do to prevent (the injury) in the future," Glasnow told reporters last week. "It's just the same thing over and over again and it's extremely frustrating. ... I think the ultimate goal is to always pitch in the postseason."

Glasnow wouldn't get into specifics about whether a surgical procedure was planned when he was asked by reporters.

Pitcher Tony Gonsolin has also dealt with an elbow injury but could be close to a return after a recent three-game rehab assignment. The starting pitcher struck out 12 with two runs on seven hits in 7.2 innings pitched for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Right-handed pitcher Dustin May is also out for the Dodgers following esophagus surgery he had in July.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced his starting rotation for the National League Division Series, a best-of-five series, earlier this week.

The Dodgers will count on Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler and rookie Landon Knack. Roberts did not announce which order or games those four will be played in.

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Here's what we can say about the state of the Dodgers pitching ahead of the playoffs:

Is Clayton Kershaw available for the postseason?

Kershaw's future status seems uncertain for the remainder of the year. He's been sidelined since September 1 due to a bone spur in his left big toe. Roberts told reporters that he's in a "holding pattern" and there are currently no plans for him to face live batters.

The veteran pitcher contemplated retirement before the 2023 season but decided to come back for another chance at a championship. He agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract, his 17th year with the team which ranks third all-time in Dodgers' history. He does have a player option that could be in play if he still feels like he has something to offer the team.

In the postseason, Kershaw has pitched in 194.1 innings but that has included some well-documented ups and downs along the way.

In his last outing, Kershaw allowed six runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last playoff outing in 2023. He was quickly pulled by Roberts, and the Dodgers had just recorded one out in that first inning.

Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto be healthy for the postseason?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Yamamoto had been a bit “under the weather” with an undisclosed illness but he’s still expected to pitch Saturday.

If the Dodgers lost the series against the San Diego Padres earlier this week, it would've meant that Yamamoto's weekend outing would've likely kept him out of the wild card rotation.

That's no longer a concern with the Dodgers securing a spot in the NLDS and Roberts naming Yamamoto as a member of his starting rotation.

Yamamoto's last regular season outing could still prove to be important, giving the team an idea of how healthy he is and where his confidence level will be ahead of his first MLB postseason. He missed three months during the season with a strained rotator cuff.

Roberts told reporters in September that the plan is to keep Yamamoto on five days rest between starts like he did in Japan during the postseason.

He finished the season with a 6-2 record in 17 games played. He allowed 74 hits, 30 runs and six home runs while striking out 99 in 85 innings pitched.

What are the expectations for Jack Flaherty?

Flaherty dealt with a back injury in July but has had a clean bill of health since then and is coming off a significant victory during the Padres series.

"Jack didn't have his best stuff, but I love the way he managed it," Roberts said on Wednesday. "He got as many outs as he could and put us in position to win a game."

He pitched five innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs and five strikeouts. He threw 59 of his 100 pitches for strikes.

Like Yamamoto, Flaherty was tabbed as a starting pitcher for the NLDS. The eight-year veteran joined the roster after he was traded by the Detroit Tigers at the deadline on July 30.

Roberts expressed confidence in Flaherty while agreeing with a question about whether big games, like the one prior to his outing on the mound Wednesday against the Padres, were a part of the reason to trade for him.

“(He's seasoned) and pitched in big ball games before,” Roberts said ahead of Wednesday’s game. “He isn't going to run from games like this and can take down x amount of hitters and feel good about the stress and being able to get big outs.”

Flaherty has a 1-3 record in five postseason games played, allowing 25 hits, 10 earned runs and two home runs while striking out 31 in 25 innings pitched.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA Dodgers postseason pitching takes shape amid injured staff