Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Talks Forearm Injury Treatment, Recovery Timeline

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw has given an update on the treatment process for his injured left forearm after he was ruled out for the 2021 postseason earlier this week.

According to the Los Angeles Times' Jorge Castillo, Kershaw has received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left flexor tendon and hopes to be ready for spring training.

Kershaw injured his forearm on Oct. 1 during his final start of the regular season. He left the game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the second inning after giving up three runs on five hits. Kershaw had hoped to play a key part in the Dodgers' postseason run but seemed to know right away he wouldn't be able to help out.

"I just wanted to be a part of this team going into October. This team is special," Kershaw told reporters after the game. "I know we're going to do something special this year, and I wanted to be a part of that."

The Dodgers will rely on Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Max Scherzer to get them through this postseason. 

While Kershaw says he hopes to be ready for spring training, it's unclear what team he'll be suiting up for. Kershaw, 33, is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Per Castillo, Kershaw declined to talk about his future after giving an update on his forearm treatment, though he has previously said he has no plans to retire.

Kershaw has put together one of the finest careers of any pitcher ever over the past 14 seasons, all of them with the Dodgers. He's an eight-time All-Star, won three Cy Young Awards and led the league in ERA five times.

He's managed to stay effective despite losing velocity on his fastball in recent years. Kershaw went 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA last year, helping the Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988. His numbers dipped a bit this year, but he still managed to go 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA. 

According to the Los Angeles Times' Jack Harris, a scan on Kershaw's arm earlier this week didn't reveal any ligament damage. With minimal treatment needed and no long-term damage to worry about, Kershaw should find a number of teams willing to bring him into the fold this offseason.

Dodgers fans will hope he can finish his career in L.A., but Kershaw may have other ideas as he winds down a legendary career.