Clayton Kershaw Reportedly Set to Miss 4-6 Weeks with Back Injury

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw reportedly will miss four to six weeks due to a back injury, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Rosenthal added that the four-to-six-week timetable was the "initial prognosis" and that a "final determination will be made after he sees Dr. Watkins."

The Dodgers later disclosed they would have no additional info on Kershaw's back or course of treatment until Tuesday, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Manager Dave Roberts said there is no official timetable for Kershaw's return, per ESPN's Buster Olney. Roberts added the injury was a strain, not a disk issue, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

After finishing the second inning, Kershaw left his Sunday start against the Atlanta Braves in what was described as "tightness on the right side of his lower back," per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com.

"Obviously, I'm not optimistic, just because I got taken out of the game," Kershaw said after the game, per Gonzalez. "But at the same time, it's not as bad as it could be."

The concern for Kershaw and the Dodgers is his back issues in the past, namely a herniated disk last year that cost him 2.5 months.

"A lot of frustration," Kershaw said of his state of mind after Sunday's injury. "I've done just countless, countless hours of back maintenance and rehab and everything, just trying to stay healthy. I felt really, really good up to this point. So, yeah, there's definitely some frustration."

With Brandon McCarthy also headed to the disabled list due to a blister, the Dodgers find themselves with just four starting pitchers at the moment.

That may force the team to be buyers at the trade deadline. They had already been linked to Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish, and facing the loss of Kershaw for the next month or so would make the addition of a player like Darvish all the more valuable.

Plus, adding a second ace for the postseason would have been ideal for the team even if Kershaw was healthy. But Sunday's developments may have forced L.A.'s hand.