Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Could Come Out of Bullpen in Playoffs, Says Insider

Sep 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) stands in the dugout before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Clayton Kershaw's evolution as a pitcher continues to go swimmingly.

The Los Angeles Dodgers legend may not throw harder than 90 mph anymore — but that doesn't matter all that much. His assortment of pitches — including the sequencing, placement, and depth of those pitches — have resulted in a very good 2025 season.

On the year, Kershaw is 10-2 with a 3.27 ERA. He ranks in the 95th percentile in barrel percentage — masterfully mixing his pitches to keep hitters off-balance. With his wipeout slider being thrown more than 40 percent of the time, Kershaw has fully embraced the standing as a crafty left-handed pitcher looking to outsmart the opposition.

Given how good he's been this year, his potential usage in the upcoming postseason remains a relative mystery.

More news: Phillies GM Wants to Avoid Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw in Playoffs

Which Dodgers player could you see starring in a movie & what movie do you think they’d do best in?

We asked fans at Dodger Stadium’s Movie Night On The Field and answers ranged from Shohei Ohtani in Superman, Anthony Banda in a romance flick, Kershaw in James Bond & more 😅 pic.twitter.com/Bz03TL4n7Q

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 9, 2025

Sonja Chen of MLB.com recently answered Dodgers-centric questions from Reddit users asking about their favorite team. When the subject of a possible four-man postseason rotation came up, Chen gave her potential group.

"I see the most likely four-man rotation for the National League Division Series being Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, in some order. That would mean Kershaw comes out of the bullpen."

With Kershaw coming out of the 'pen in Chen's short series breakdown, she does admit that Kershaw joining the group in a longer seven-game series would appear to make considerable sense.

"If the Dodgers advance beyond the NLDS, I think there's actually a good case to go with a five-man rotation from there. The way the schedule is for both the NL Championship Series and the World Series, the starters for Games 1 and 2 would have a full week of rest ahead of potential Games 6 and 7. And if the Dodgers were to use five starters in those latter series, they would still have the same number of bullpen arms as teams using four-man rotations because of Ohtani's two-way roster designation. In this scenario, it would make some sense for Kershaw to be part of the rotation."

Yamamoto and Snell are virtual locks to be in a Wild Card series rotation. Based on how Glasnow has looked this year, he would appear to be a near certainty to appear as well. Kershaw and Ohtani are interesting cases for different reasons.

It could make sense to have Kershaw pitch off the back of a right-handed arm with plus-velocity (such as Yamamoto, Glasnow, or Ohtani). His perceived struggles in the posteason could be a consideration even if a bit overblown.

Clayton Kershaw sets a new season high with 8 strikeouts 😤 pic.twitter.com/17Mp2Z02ZA

— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2025

More news: Ex-Dodgers Pitcher Cut Again With Highest ERA Since 1890

Keeping Ohtani from tiring out at the plate is another consideration. If Kershaw takes the fourth starter spot, Ohtani could be used in more of a long reliever role — or perhaps even to close out a game with a one-to-two inning appearance.

At the very least, when fully healthy, this is the most talented starting rotation in the big leagues.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.