Clayton Kershaw is hopeful he can pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, even though his stubborn toe injury hasn’t healed yet.
The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner has only been able to play catch this week instead of facing batters. Kershaw went on the injured list on August 31 because of a bone spur in his left big toe.
He didn’t pitch until July 25 after recovering from a shoulder injury in the offseason.
“I’m not giving up,” Kershaw said Thursday before the Dodgers’ last game against San Diego. “I’m going to keep trying every day. Maybe it will feel better in a day. I’m waiting for that day to happen.”
Due to his toe issue, Kershaw can’t pitch the way he wants to, and other parts of his body are compensating for it.
“Whenever my toe feels better, I’m confident I’ll be good,” he said. “But other stuff pops up when I’m not throwing normally. There is just a max percentage that I can throw right now.”
The 36-year-old left-hander had a record of 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts before his injury.
Manager Dave Roberts mentioned that Kershaw still needs to build himself back up, throw a bullpen session, and face hitters.
“He’s just not going to be viable for a couple weeks, and then we’ll see what that looks like as far as our playoff fortunes,” Roberts said.
The 10-time All-Star has been told by doctors that he doesn’t need surgery.
“It’s something that takes time, I guess, which is the worst thing because I’m not good at that,” Kershaw said. “My arm, I’m keeping it going the best I can. I really think when my toe is better, I will be ready to pitch. I need to get close to 100% so I can throw.”
