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Clayton Kershaw Gives Candid Review of Pitching Since Return From Injury

Clayton Kershaw got honest on where's he at as a pitcher since recent return from injury.

Eva Geitheim

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during the first inning.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during the first inning. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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The numbers looked pretty good for Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday, his third start since returning from both knee and foot surgeries. Over five innings in the Los Angeles Dodgers' game against the Cleveland Guardians, Kershaw allowed six hits, one earned run and two walks while striking out three.

But while the outing looked good on paper, it was certainly far from perfect. After the game, Kershaw acknowledged that he got help to get out of a rough first inning. He also indicated it would have been better if he had lasted more innings—the Guardians completed a comeback in the eighth inning to secure a 7-4 win over the Dodgers.

"I'm fighting some stuff mechanically and different things," Kershaw said, via SportsNet LA. "I was able to make a few pitches here and there to get through five, but obviously wasn't pitching good enough to be able to stay in the game which makes the bullpen have to throw more innings. ... Frustrating for sure, but I think at the same at the time there's some progress still, more reps. Overall, to only give up 1-run and pitch that bad is a good thing."

Kershaw acknowledged that he created some "bad habits" last year, when he returned from shoulder surgery in the middle of the season. Kershaw came back to start seven games in 2024, but suffered a season-ending injury not long after his return.

"There's just some stuff I need to hammer down," Kershaw said. "I think I've created some bad habits with not feeling my best, I created some bad habits last year. I haven't pitched in a while, I haven't pitched in a long time. There's just some growing pains with the first few. Physically, I feel great, just got to keep throwing and figure it out."

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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