Future Hall Of Famer Clayton Kershaw Could Make Rehab Start Vs. Bees
Apr 19, 2025, 1:20 PM | Updated: 2:34 pm
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 18: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on August 18, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Salt Lake baseball fans may be in for a treat as legendary Los Angeles Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is in line to make his second rehab appearance Tuesday night.
A future Hall of Famer and two-time World Series champion, Kershaw would be making his second appearance of the season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Comets.
With the opening of their new baseball cathedral on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, the Salt Lake Bees have shown that their new park can contend with any across minor league baseball for views, ambiance, and amenities. One week after opening its gates to fans for the first time, The Ballpark could play host to a man who has already etched his name in the record books as one of the best left-handed hurlers in MLB history.
#Dodgers Clayton Kershaw said he will make his second rehab start Tuesday. Undecided whether it will be Double A or Triple A. Potentially weather involved
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) April 19, 2025
A litany of injuries has sidelined the 17-year MLB veteran in recent years. Persistent back issues since 2016 have cost him time, but a shoulder injury in 2024 limited the southpaw to 30 innings across seven starts for the eventual World Champions.
He opened 2025 on the IL as he works back from offseason toe surgery on his left foot.
Kershaw made his first rehab appearance for Oklahoma City last week, feeling healthy and allowing two hits in three innings. He threw 22 strikes out of 30 pitches and said he felt good following the outing.
Back on the mound 😤
Clayton Kershaw pitched three scoreless innings today in his first rehab start. pic.twitter.com/IqUcmZdl2t
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2025
Kershaw was quoted by Dodgers Nation writer Jason Fray after the game, “I think anytime with rehab you want to feel healthy, which I do feel good today. Then you want to see your stuff — obviously — play. There’s some things that I need to work on still, but for the first [rehab appearance] overall, it was a good step forward,” Kershaw said.
About Clayton Kershaw
A 2006 first-round pick of the Dodgers (seventh overall), Kershaw made his MLB debut in 2008, going 5-5 with a 4.26 earned run average in 107.2 innings. The Dallas, Texas native won 21 games combined over the next two years, finishing with a sub-3.00 ERA in both seasons.
His ascent earned Kershaw the first of eight consecutive Opening Day starts in 2011. The lefty was named to the first of seven-straight, and ten total, All-Star nominations. He won the first of three Cy Young Awards after leading the league in wins (21), ERA (2.28), and strikeouts (248) to earn the pitching Triple Crown.
Kershaw has led the league in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) three times, wins three times, ERA five times, starts twice, complete games three times, strikeouts three times, and innings once. He was named MVP in 2014 and tossed a no-hitter the following year.
All 27 outs of Clayton Kershaw's 2015 no-hitter called by Vin Scully 💙 pic.twitter.com/cm3KptW8A0
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) March 29, 2025
Relying heavily on a four-seam fastball and a wicked slider, Kershaw owned one of the league’s best curveballs for several seasons. More focused on movement and deception than speed, Kershaw has been able to reinvent his game depending on what pitches were working on any given night.
He has a career record of 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA. Kershaw is 32 strikeouts away from becoming the 20th pitcher in baseball history to punch out 3,000 batters.
Assuming he takes the mound for the Dodgers this season, Kershaw will join Zack Wheat and Bill Russell as the only Dodgers to spend 18 seasons with the franchise. Kershaw and Russell are the only two to spend their entire 18+ year career in Dodger blue.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
