Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw warms up in the bullpen as he prepares to make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw greets teammates as he heads toward the dugout after warming up before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the first inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers a pitch during the third inning as he makes his first rehabilitation start for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes minor league team at the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday evening June 19, 2024 against the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino. Kershaw was making his first pitching appearance since off season shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw greets teammates as he comes off the field after the first inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw watches a pop-up during the first inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the second inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the first inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw watches a foul ball during the second inning of a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, bottom left, walks to the clubhouse after pitching three innings in a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Fans wait in line to get into a sold-out Epicenter to see Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Fans wait in line to get into a sold-out Epicenter to see Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes against the Inland Empire 66ers on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks out of the clubhouse to warm up before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw stretches as he prepares to make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw stretches as he prepares to make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw stretches as he prepares to make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw warms up in the outfield as he prepares to make a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, right, greets catcher Jesus Galiz before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Fans and players watch as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw warms up in the bullpen before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Fans and players watch as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw warms up in the bullpen before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw warms up in the bullpen before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Fans attempt to get the attention of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, center, after he warmed up before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, left, walks back to the dugout with catcher Jesus Galiz after warming up in the bullpen before making a rehab start for the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday evening in Rancho Cucamonga. Kershaw was pitching in a game for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Eight and a half months after walking off the mound at Dodger Stadium one out into Game 1 of the Dodgers’ ill-fated National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and 7½ months after the first surgery of his career, Clayton Kershaw was back on a mound in a competitive environment Wednesday night.
“I think the significance will be getting back to the big leagues,” Kershaw said after throwing three innings in a rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. “This is just another step in the process. It doesn’t mean it’s not important. But ultimately all of this is for nothing if I don’t make it back. It’s a good another step. I’m not getting too high or too low. Just trying to make it through, make it through three or four more starts and see where I’m at.”
He threw 37 pitches in his three innings in front of a sellout crowd at LoanMart Field, allowing one run on two hits and a walk (on a full-count pitch-clock violation). He struck out five of the 12 batters he faced. Three of those strikeouts came on classic Kershaw curveballs, dismissing the impressionable youth.
Kershaw (who underwent surgery in November to repair the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule in his pitching shoulder) touched 90 mph with one fastball but mostly sat at 88-90 mph. While pitching with a damaged shoulder last season, he averaged 90.7 mph on his four-seam fastball.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner mixed in two-seam fastballs and changeups along with his usual mix of four-seam fastballs, curveballs and sliders on Wednesday against the Inland Empire 66ers.
“Honestly I was just more focused on getting it done tonight,” he said when asked to rate his satisfaction level with his pitches. “Going out there, getting up and down for three innings, trying to make some pitches when I needed to. Stuff’s okay. It’s getting better. (I’m) hopeful that over time you start working more on pitching and less about health and get ready to go.”
The future Hall of Famer would not say how long he expects it to take for him be “ready to go” back into the Dodgers’ starting rotation. But he acknowledged that Wednesday felt, in some ways, like a spring training start.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think a rehab start – a night game in front of a few more fans, it feels maybe a little more intense than a spring training game. Obviously the competition is a little different. I don’t know. It feels like you’re a little further along than that (a first start of spring training). Maybe. I guess you could say that.”
Kershaw did mention the likelihood of making “three or four more” rehab starts before rejoining the Dodgers. But he wouldn’t commit to that as a timeline for his return.
“I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said. “It’s all dependent on the next one. As long as you keep doing well in the next one. You have to see where the team is as well, see what the need is up there, obviously. There’s a lot of ‘X’ factors. Some of them are in my control but some of them aren’t. We’ll just see how the next one goes and go from there.”
The Dodgers’ rotation has taken some hits recently. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was placed on the injured list with a strained rotator cuff over the weekend and will be out indefinitely. Walker Buehler joined him on the IL on Wednesday after taking a line drive to his right hip Tuesday in Colorado. In Buehler’s case, though, the injury is less of a concern than his performance in his first eight starts since returning from his second Tommy John surgery. Buehler took a 5.84 ERA and 1.51 WHIP to the IL with him.
“I think it went good,” Kershaw said of his night. “I mean, I checked off a lot of boxes. Got through three innings. First time in a game setting. It was fun to get back out there. I hadn’t done that in awhile. As long as everything comes out fine tomorrow I think I’m on to the next one.”
