LOS ANGELES– Clayton Kershaw is nursing stiffness in his back and will start the season on the 10-day injured list, prompting highly rated possibility Dustin May to briefly replace him in the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation.
The Dodgers made the statement about four hours before Kershaw was slated to throw the first pitch in the opening game against the division-rival San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated Kershaws back initially stiffened up while he was exercising in the weight room Tuesday. Kershaw received treatment that night and felt much better the following day but relatively couldnt get his back loosened correctly after getting to Dodger Stadium the morning of his very first start.
” Just to make sure we err on the side of care, didnt feel that it was sensible to begin him,” Roberts said.
1 RelatedRoberts didnt offer a schedule for Kershaws return, however the left-hander will miss at least 2 turns through the rotation offered the minimum requirement for an IL stint. May, ESPNs 19th-rated prospect in March, is correctly extended to start and was told this might be a possibility Wednesday so that he would not take part in his scheduled simulated game.
May graduated through the Dodgers Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2019 and contributed 34 2/3 innings down the stretch, posting a 3.63 ERA and a 6.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The red-haired, 6-foot-6, 22-year-old right-hander includes a plus slider and a hard, sinking fastball that can create a lot of swing-and-misses and grounders. Roberts thinks about May “extremely unflappable.”
” Hes a very positive young man, obviously has really great stuff,” Roberts stated. “When a modification of strategies occurs, Dustin changes effectively.”
May becomes the first Dodgers novice to start on Opening Day considering that Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Kershaw was set up to begin Opening Day for the ninth time in his career but will miss time with a back injury for the 4th time in the previous 5 years. His lack is significantly frustrating, provided David Prices choice to choose out of the 2020 season– which followed an offseason in which the Dodgers parted ways with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda.
Said Roberts, “The disappointment for me is for Clayton because hes as prepared a player as Ive ever been around, and beginning an Opening Day implies a lot to him.”
May graduated through the Dodgers Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2019 and contributed 34 2/3 innings down the stretch, publishing a 3.63 ERA and a 6.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio. May becomes the first Dodgers rookie to start on Opening Day considering that Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Kershaw was scheduled to begin Opening Day for the ninth time in his career but will miss time with a back injury for the fourth time in the past 5 years.
