Clayton Kershaw Placed on IL by Dodgers with Forearm Injury

Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Clayton Kershaw on the 10-day injured List with left forearm inflammation, the team announced Wednesday afternoon. Right-hander Mitch White has been recalled to fill the open roster spot.

Minor injuries have been a persistent problem for Kershaw in recent years. Prior to the shortened 2020 campaign, he went four straight seasons without hitting 30-plus starts. 

While not the dominant force he was when winning three Cy Young awards in four years, the southpaw's performance hasn't suffered too much. Between 2016-20, Kershaw averaged 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and posted a 2.44 ERA and 3.05 FIP, per Baseball Reference.

The trend has continued into 2021. Through 18 starts, the eight-time All-Star is 9-7 with 127 strikeouts and a 2.99 FIP.

Placing Kershaw on the IL now will give him a bit of extra rest with the All-Star break set to begin on Sunday evening. The Dodgers will be off from July 12 to July 15, returning July 16 for a three-game series at the Colorado Rockies.

In the event Kershaw is out of the rotation for longer, his absence will obviously be felt by Los Angeles, though, the team still has Walker Buehler and Julio Urias to anchor the staff. Trevor Bauer remains absent from the team on seven-day paid administrative leave while MLB investigates a sexual assault allegation. It's unclear when he could return.