Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw 'Excited and Grateful' to Make 2025 Debut After Injury Rehab

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is "excited and grateful" to make his 2025 season debut on Saturday, as noted to reporters during a Thursday chat (h/t ESPN's Aiden Gonzalez).

"I think there's more gratitude, honestly," Kershaw said. "When you haven't done something for a long time and realize that you miss being part of a team and contributing, I think there's a lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back to that point. I definitely feel that. Now if I go out there and don't pitch good, it's going to go away really fast. There's a performance aspect to that. But I think for now, sitting on the other side of it, just super excited and grateful to go back out there again."

The 37-year-old Kershaw only made seven starts last year and none after August 30.

In November 2023, Kershaw underwent successful left shoulder surgery "to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule," per MLB.com's Juan Toribio. He missed the first half of the 2024 season, and his return was delayed in June when he paused rehab to address shoulder soreness.

Kershaw returned on July 25 and went 2-2 over seven appearances with a 4.50 ERA, striking out 24 over 30 innings. Unfortunately, Kershaw was removed from his Aug. 30 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to a bone spur in his left big toe. He has not pitched since.

In November 2024, Kershaw had surgery to address a ruptured plantar plate in that toe as well as a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Kershaw has done well in five rehab starts this year in the minors, posting a 2.57 ERA over 21 innings while striking out 16.

So it's understandable why Kershaw feels grateful to return to the mound after missing so much time.

Kershaw is one of the game's all-time best pitchers, having won three NL Cy Young awards, the 2014 NL MVP and five ERA titles. It's unclear what his form will be like upon his return, but he was exceptional in 2023 before dealing with a spate of injuries, going 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 24 starts.

Kershaw will toe the rubber Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET in Dodger Stadium. Tyler Anderson will get the ball for the Angels.