Los Angeles Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Tosses Hitless Gem on Rehab Assignment

Clayton Kershaw continued to deal on his journey back to the big leagues, posting 6.0 no-hit innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers' affiliate in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday.
Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during the minor league baseball between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Tacoma Rainers at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during the minor league baseball between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Tacoma Rainers at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been taking things slow with Clayton Kershaw this season, allowing their longtime ace to ease his way back to the big leagues.

The future Hall of Fame lefty has been taking the mound in minor league games for four weeks now, and he certainly seems to have rounded back into form.

Kershaw took the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Arizona Complex League affiliate on Tuesday, facing off against the Cincinnati Reds' rookie level players. He wound up going 6.0 innings, not allowing a single run or hit.

All the Reds could muster up against Kershaw was one walk, all while striking out four times. The Dodgers went on to win 3-2.

Kershaw underwent left knee and left toe surgeries in the fall, just before he opted out of his contract with the Dodgers. He ultimately resigned with the club at the beginning of spring training, inking a one-year, $7.5 million deal in spite of his injuries.

The 37-year-old started his rehab assignment in Triple-A in April, making three starts for Oklahoma City. He also made one start for Double-A Tulsa before he went down to the ACL.

On the whole this season, Kershaw is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA, 0.765 WHIP and 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors.

Kershaw isn't eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until May 17, so he likely has one more rehab start in his future. From there, he is set to rejoin a Dodgers rotation that has also lost Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Gavin Stone, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan to injury.

In seven starts last season, Kershaw posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.500 WHIP and -0.3 WAR – all of which were the worst marks of his career. He was fresh off making his ninth and 10th All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023, though, so he isn't far removed from pitching at a high level.

Kershaw is 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.010 WHIP and 76.5 WAR since making his MLB debut in 2008. The three-time Cy Young winner is sitting at 2,968 strikeouts for his career, meaning he will only need to record 32 more upon his return from injury in order to become the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.