Clayton Kershaw moves closer to Dodgers return – Orange County Register

Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

DETROIT — After “a little glitch on the screen,” Clayton Kershaw could be one rehab start away from returning to the Dodgers’ starting rotation.

On Saturday, Kershaw went three innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, throwing 38 pitches in the game and 12 more in the bullpen. He is expected to make another rehab start for OKC on Friday and could then join the Dodgers.

Saturday was Kershaw’s second start as part of a minor league injury rehab assignment as he works toward his return from shoulder surgery last November. He pitched three innings for Class A Rancho Cucamonga on June 19 but felt shoulder soreness after the outing and was sidelined for a week. An MRI showed no additional damage, and Kershaw received an injection as treatment before returning to his pitching routine.

“Tonight was good,” Kershaw told reporters after the game Saturday. “Thankfully it was just a little bit. I was able to come back here, I was able to finish three innings, which is huge. Overall, there were a lot of positives. There’s still some things I need to work on, but overall it was a positive night.”

Kershaw said he would “definitely” need more rehab and would stretch out four innings plus another in the bullpen.

“I texted him last night and he was really excited about it,” Roberts said.

“He’ll pitch next Friday for OKC. Obviously the plan is to get through four innings and maybe a fifth in the bullpen. Really encouraging. Really good. The stuff was good. He said he felt good coming out of there.”

If Kershaw believes he’ll be ready to return to the major leagues after another rehab outing, “we should be open to that,” Roberts said.

“If he looks as good as he did last Friday, I think anything is possible,” Roberts said. “I’m definitely open to that idea.”

LIST EVOLUTION

The Dodgers claimed right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. from the Pittsburgh Pirates and added him to the roster to start Sunday.

Right-hander Ricky Vanasco was sent back to Triple-A to clear a roster spot and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was moved to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Yamamoto is out with a rotator cuff injury and won’t be able to return until Aug. 15. But he only started a throwing program this week, playing 60-foot ball, and isn’t expected back until well after that date.

“I just hope he comes back,” Roberts said. “But for me, I don’t have a deadline.”

Roberts said he spoke with Mookie Betts Sunday morning and that Betts has taken a step forward in his recovery from a broken left hand.

“He was taking short, shallow balls and catching them,” Roberts said. “He was really excited about it, so that’s a good thing.”

Betts had done some “shadow” work during last week’s home game, mimicking ground ball-catching motions without impacting his injured hand.

Betts has been out since June 16. The Dodgers have not given a timetable for his return.