Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will be returning to the team next year. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer told MLB on Fox, “I want to make use of this [shoulder} surgery…I’m going to come back next year and give it a go.” The 36-year-old southpaw has a 10 million dollar player option for 2025.
“I’m going to come back next year and give it a go.”
Clayton Kershaw announces that he will return next season pic.twitter.com/N0VCpcQsMq
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 14, 2024
Clayton Kershaw Announces He Will Return in 2025
Injury-Plagued Year
Kershaw had a delayed start to the 2024 season as he was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He returned in July and went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA. In the 30 innings he pitched, he had 24 strikeouts. The Dodgers great was soon to be sidelined again in August with a bone spur in his left toe. Apparently, it is an injury that Kershaw has been dealing with for some time. However, this latest flare-up will require surgery.
Kershaw is not the only starting pitcher who struggled to stay healthy this year. Each member of the starting rotation has spent time on the injured list in 2024. We won’t see Tyler Glasnow until next year. Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Shohei Ohtani (mound-wise) are set to return then as well. However, Gavin Stone and River Ryan will probably miss 2025.
Milestones to Achieve
The veteran left-hander has a career record of 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA, which is the lowest among active pitchers in Major League Baseball. Kershaw also has 15 career shutouts, also the best mark among active pitchers.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner, 2014 Most Valuable Player, and 2020 World Series Champion still has important plateaus to reach. He is 32 strikeouts away from 3,000 for his career. Another World Series wouldn’t be a bad thing to add to his collection either.
What the Future Holds
The number one goal for Kershaw, however, is to get healthy and stay healthy. Whatever happens, Dodger fans everywhere are hoping there are more Kershaw Days to come.
Photo Credit: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
