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August 5 update: Kershaw is on the IL after suffering a lower back injury Thursday against the Giants. The Dodgers have brought Chris Taylor and Reyes Moronta back up, while James Outman goes down. We’ll see how long Kershaw is out for with this issue. It shouldn’t hurt the Dodgers in the division race much but it could throw Kershaw off his game as the postseason nears.
#Dodgers place Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with low back pain. Chris Taylor and Reyes Moronta are back up. James Outman goes back to AAA.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) August 5, 2022
An official timetable isn’t out yet, but manager Dave Roberts thinks Kershaw could be miss between a couple of weeks and one month.
Dave Roberts said they’re still waiting on results of Clayton Kershaw’s MRI
— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) August 5, 2022
Roberts said they don’t have a firm timeline yet, but thinks he could could be out a couple weeks to a month
He said they thinks there’s enough time for Kershaw to be back to normal by playoffs
Update: It’s officially a lower back injury for Kershaw, according to the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw left today's game with low back pain.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 4, 2022
The Los Angeles Dodgers saw starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw leave before the fifth inning of Thursday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw was warming up and then pulled himself from the game. He did not wait for the team trainer or manager Dave Roberts to get the mound before doing so.
#Dodgers Clayton Kershaw is leaving the field after warming up for the fifth inning. Didn't even wait for trainer and Dave Roberts to get to the mound.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 4, 2022
It looks like a back injury for Kershaw, which is not a great sign considering his age and previous injuries he’s had.
#Dodgers Clayton Kershaw appeared to say to trainer as he was leaving field, "It's my back." His actions after last two warmup pitches certainly reflect that.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 4, 2022
It wasn’t Kershaw’s best effort heading into the fifth inning, as he’d given up two runs on three hits. He had three strikeouts. The Giants held a 2-1 lead on the Dodgers until the fourth inning, when Mookie Betts connected on a three-run home to give LA the lead back.
If Kershaw is sidelined for an extended period of time, look for Andrew Heaney or even David Price to eat innings. The Dodgers were quiet at the trade deadline while their division rivals San Diego Padres loaded up on talent. If Kershaw is out for a long time, this could spell trouble for LA down the line.