Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Shut Down Amid Injury Rehab; MRI Showed No New Issues

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have shut down starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw due to "lingering soreness" in his shoulder, per the Orange Country Register's Bill Plunkett.

According to Plunkett, the veteran ace's MRI "showed no new issues," but he won't throw for a week and then will start progressing again.

Kershaw underwent left shoulder surgery in November to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule following the end of the Dodgers' season. He has not yet pitched for Los Angeles this season.

Last week, Kershaw reportedly had "a little bit of soreness" following his rehab start for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. In that outing, which was his first appearance since November, he threw 37 pitches across three innings, allowing one earned run and picking up five strikeouts.

He was slated for another rehab start on Tuesday, which will now be postponed.

Earlier in June, Kershaw was reportedly "way ahead of schedule" and there was optimism he could make his return to the mound sooner than expected.

"It went OK," Kershaw said after a simulated game at Dodger Stadium. "I feel all right. Shoulder feels healthy, and now it's just a matter of building the pitches back up and getting ready to go."

With no new damage to his shoulder, it seems the soreness could be a minor setback for Kershaw as he looks to return in time for the end of the regular season.

In his 16th MLB campaign last season, Kershaw threw 137 strikeouts and recorded a 2.46 ERA on his way to a 13-5 record in 24 appearances.

With the offseason additions of Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the rotation, there's certainly less pressure for Kershaw to rush back to the mound, but it would certainly give Los Angeles an edge as it looks to compete for a World Series.