They wore Los Angeles caps and No. 22 jerseys, an army of Kershaw-hungry, Dodgers-clad spectators soaking up the view they had waited for all summer.
About a quarter to seven last Friday night, about 30 minutes before a AAA game with the Dodger‘Oklahoma City Affiliate, Clayton Kershaw walked through the long shadows of the Dell Diamond Stadium outfield, beginning his standard pregame routine on a night that was anything but.
Around him, hundreds of Dodgers fans crowded into the minor league ballpark, chanting Kershaw’s name and showering him with applause during a regulated series of stretches, warm-up pitches and bullpen pitches.
For much of this year, such views have been rare, with Kershaw sidelined by off-season shoulder surgery and stuck in a tedious nine-month rehabilitation program.
See more information: Clayton Kershaw approaching Dodgers return: ‘If they need me now, I’ll be ready’
But this promised to be the last step in that process; one last triple-A outing before his long-awaited return to the Dodgers’ big league club.
When Kershaw completed his pregame work, waving shyly to the crowd before tossing the ball to a young fan, he received a reception that reflected the stature he had achieved in the Dodgers organization.
He may not be the prominent star pitcher he once was, well after winning the MVP and Cy Young Awards. But for the franchise he’s called home for nearly 20 years, the future Hall of Famer is still a big deal.
On Thursday, with recovery from last November’s surgery finally complete, Kershaw will return to the Dodgers and return to Mount Chavez Ravine, ready to make his season debut for a team that missed him more than he could have ever imagined.
“I never expected to just try to come back and not help or contribute,” Kershaw said. “I wanted to come back and be part of something special, and contribute…be one of the top five guys we have.”
When Kershaw first renewed with the club In February, after deciding to avoid retirement for at least another year, the chances of him being one of the Dodgers’ best pitchers seemed slim.
For a variety of reasons, his role with the 2024 club was unclear.
His surgery, to repair the capsule and glenohumeral ligaments in his left shoulder who chased him last year, made his return this year not guaranteed in the first place. And it appeared that even if the 36-year-old returned, the Dodgers had already found other ways to meet their pitching needs.
All of this made Kershaw something of a bonus in his overall plans; someone who could give them depth and stability as they completed their rehabilitation, but wasn’t exactly crucial to your World Series dreams.
“We feel good about him coming in and contributing and being a big part of what we do,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the start of spring training. “The ‘when’ we’re still not sure.”
Fast forward a few months, and Kershaw’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Dodgers.
The team is currently without Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bobby Miller It is Walker Buhlerall of whom have struggled with injuries this season. Tyler Glasnow It is Gavin Stone both are approaching career-high workloads, which means their use will be monitored during the rest of the season. Above all, the starting rotation has been rocky for much of the last month, raising questions about the Dodgers’ ability to not only get through the rest of the regular season but also field a stable of October-caliber weapons to navigate in the playoffs as soon as they get there.
“Obviously, with Clayton returning, it would be an addition,” said the manager David Roberts he said.
But now “there is certainly a place of need,” Roberts added.
Not only for the lefty to come back and pitch – but also pitch well for a club looking for postseason options.
“That’s always been my mindset, regardless of what’s going on,” Kershaw said. “But obviously, right now, we are in a difficult situation. We need to hold on for a while.”
Exactly what the Dodgers will get from Kershaw remains the biggest question ahead of his return on Thursday.
See more information: Yoshinobu Yamamoto is no longer in pain, but his return timeline is unclear
For the first four months of the season, the 17-year-old veteran was in rehab mode, plagued by the first surgical recovery of his playing career.
“I don’t want to say it was terrible, because I was able to have a lot more time with my family and be able to hang out with them more,” said Kershaw, who has traveled back to his home in Texas every time the Dodgers are on the road. “But I mean, yeah, you don’t feel like you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing… I understand now.
Having never had surgery before, Kershaw admitted that she “didn’t really believe people, honestly, when they said it’s an up and down thing and you’re going to have good days and bad days.”
This unpredictability ended up straining Kershaw’s patience.
He had a setback last month when shoulder pain persists forced him to delay his second minor league rehab start. And as he began to see the finish line in recent weeks, the final stages of recovery seemed some of the most difficult for the 10-time All-Star.
“Getting closer and proving to be able to get back out there,” Kershaw said earlier this month, “every day is starting to be a little more tedious.”
Despite this, the Dodgers staff saw encouraging signs at every step of Kershaw’s progression.
Throughout his throwing program, Kershaw impressed coaches with his fluid mechanics, throwing “free and easy” throws, as throwing coach Mark Prior described it, without any mishaps or post-surgery delivery flaws.
“Most guys coming out of any surgery have labor hesitancy…or things to the naked eye that just don’t look right,” Prior said. “But with him, it’s crazy how consistent his delivery has been. The first time you saw him pitch, you thought, ‘This is almost identical to where he was before.’ It was good to see that.”
Things for Kershaw have also improved from last season, when he was rarely able to top 90 mph due to shoulder limitations.
At the start of his rehab last Friday, Kershaw hit nearly 90 mph on his ATV. His trademark slider and curveball continued to play outfield effectively, leading to 12 total strikeouts in his three minor league starts. Kershaw also tinkered with some new weapons, testing a sinker and split switch occasionally during his rehab process.
“He’s one of those guys that seems to try to be one step ahead of the hitters,” Prior said. “He’s probably much more open than he was four or five years ago to having to adjust his arsenal, his uses.”
There are still many questions about Kershaw’s capabilities.
He did not throw more than four innings in any of his rehab starts. Late in Friday’s appearance, his fastball was down to about 87-88 mph. And as healthy as he has been during his recovery, he still faces the variables that come with any major surgery.
“I have to do what I do,” he said of his upcoming comeback, “and see if it works or not.”
But the Dodgers are hopeful — if not, desperate — that it will happen, clinging to the belief that Kershaw still has plenty left in his seemingly endless tank.
See more information: Plaschke: Trade deadline feels like panic time for Dodgers
Before Kershaw six-race disaster in last year’s playoffsHe managed a 13–5 record and 2.46 ERA in the regular season, finding ways to remain one of the Dodgers’ most productive pitchers even in his diminished physical state.
And this year, although he’s no closer to being an ace, Kershaw will be asked to help stabilize a fluctuating rotation — one that could require him to pitch more important innings in playoff games.
“Talking to Clayton about how much better he feels,” Roberts said, “I just don’t see why there wouldn’t be an uptick in things.”
Added before: “This is where we come into Clayton [being an] kind of atypical thing. You just don’t underestimate what he will do.”
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the beginning of each series.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
