Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Clayton Kershaw has every intention to run things back with the franchise in 2025 after suffering a season-ending foot injury this year.
Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw will “give it a go” in 2025 following toe injury
Kershaw could no longer pitch for the Dodgers in 2024 after making his last start on Aug. 30 as he then battled a toe injury that has lingered until present day. A shoulder ailment robbed him of ample playing time to start the campaign into the month of July, and now, he can look forward to picking up where he left off next March.
Kershaw spoke on the GEICO pregame show ahead of Game 2 of the Dodgers’ National League Championship Series on Monday and said this about his intentions for his recovery and where he wants to be next season, as Fox Sports: MLB shared on X:
“Obviously, I had some tough luck with my foot this year. But I want to make use of this surgery,” Kershaw said. “I don’t want to have surgery and shut it down. So I’m gonna come back next year and give it a go and see how it goes.”
Dodgers: Kershaw was not able to gain a rhythm in 2024
Kershaw only appeared in seven games in 2024. The three-time NL Cy Young award winner made his season debut on July 25 and posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.500 WHIP along with a 2-2 win-loss record, all of which were career-lows. His stuff was also severely lacking, as he sported an average fastball velocity of 89.9 mph and an underwhelming 18 percent strikeout rate.
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Kershaw will give the Dodgers one of the MLB’s best No. 3 or No. 4 options next season
Nevertheless, he is still one of the most talented pitchers on the Dodgers, and will be one of the best third or fourth options in the entire MLB next season behind Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow and rookie sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the latter two of whom are under contract with Los Angeles next season.
Kershaw will turn 37 just before the next campaign commences. While he is nearing that time where thoughts of retirement may be creeping to the forefront of his mind, the former Dodgers ace is intent on producing for L.A. and mirroring the dominant productivity he put forth when last at full strength in 2023, where he went an impressive 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 137 strikeouts.
The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball and can give the former 2014 NL MVP a couple of strong chances to add a second World Series championship to his resume between now and November of 2025. Him doing so while active next season would only further drive home the former Triple Crown honoree’s Hall-of-Fame-worthy career.
