Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Not Expecting Back Problem to Go Away

Age has a way of humbling even the greatest athletes in life. Regardless of how successful your playing career is or was, Father Time remains undefeated, although LeBron James is certainly doing his best. But the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw is still learning how to deal with that.

Kersh hit the injured list after the series in Chicago earlier this month. It was once again that pesky back that has given him issues since the 2016 season. Generally, the Dodgers’ hurler gets an epidural shot that fixes the issue. That has not been the case this time around. 

And it also sounds like an issue that Kersh expects to have for the rest of his career. While he hopes to be back to full health and to make it through October, he understands that it’s always going to be there. And the Dodgers need to be prepared for that.

“Unfortunately, the reality of it is with my back – I’ve thrown a lot of pitches and my back is going to be something that is a problem for me moving forward almost always. So it’s just a matter of dealing with it when you can. If it’s a once-a-year deal then so be it. But hopefully, it’s around this time of year and I’m ready to go for the rest of the season.”

Age has a way of doing that to you. Anyone with a back injury knows that it never really goes away, but you have good months and bad months. At age 34, the Dodgers southpaw is going to have to deal with that. But the good news is that when he is healthy, Kersh is still very much a good pitcher.

Through his first 5 starts of the year, Kersh has pitched to a 1.80 ERA and a sparkling 2.27 FIP. He punched out 32 batters through 30 innings of work and had yet to take a loss this year before hitting the injured list. 

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