Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is dealing with a bone spur on his left big toe, as revealed by manager Dave Roberts. The injury has further weakened the Dodgers’ rotation. Kershaw left the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning after giving up a home run to Corbin Carroll. Roberts and athletic trainer Thomas Albert visited Kershaw on the mound, where it was clear the injury was causing significant pain and swelling.
It’s a bone spur, and it’s clearly problematic. There’s swelling and pain, and he’s trying to manage it, Roberts explained to Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times. Sometimes it doesn’t affect him much, but today it did. He had no strength and we were concerned about the impact on his arm. We had no choice but to pull him after the Carroll at-bat. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow, but we might need to make some moves if he’s going to end up on the injured list.
Kershaw’s early exit forced the bullpen to take over for the remaining eight innings, despite starting with a three-run lead. Reliever Joe Kelly struggled with his command. Kershaw expressed frustration over his inability to find a comfortable way to pitch due to his toe, adding that it was disappointing to leave the team in a tough spot.
The toe issue is something Kershaw has faced intermittently for years, and it flared up again on Friday night.
The injury could pose a problem for the Dodgers as they approach the end of the season, particularly with other key pitchers like Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto also sidelined. Despite the heavy reliance on the bullpen, the Dodgers managed a vital win.
With the postseason approaching and the rotation already weakened, the Dodgers may need to make additional roster moves to bolster their pitching staff. Despite the bullpen’s exhaustion, the Dodgers managed to hold their lead in the National League West and demonstrated resilience in their narrow 10-9 victory over the Diamondbacks.
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