Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is out after persistent pain

‘You’re having an operation. You are going through rehabilitation. You start throwing. You increase the speed and the workload,” Roberts said, “and there’s definitely going to be some pain, and that’s where we are right now.

“So then you do the scan to see if there’s a new incident, which there wasn’t, so that’s why we feel very comfortable and confident that this is just a blip.”

Kershaw had surgery in November, a month after recording just one out in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against Arizona. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner re-signed with Los Angeles in February, remaining with his only big league club.

Kershaw made a rehab start Wednesday night at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, throwing 37 pitches while working three innings of one-run ball. He was expected to pitch four innings in his second rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

After taking a week off from throwing, Kershaw is starting to hit his stride again.

“A week isn’t long enough to worry about curtailing the buildup he’s already had,” Roberts said. “But I think it’s a way to get us back and get the pain away, so that’s the most important thing.”

Los Angeles (49-31) tops the NL West again, but has been hit hard by injuries this month. Mookie Betts broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch on June 16. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (rotator cuff strain) and Walker Buehler (hipitis) were placed on the 15-day injured list, leaving the right-handers off the team’s roster. rotation for now.

The Dodgers were without outfielder Teoscar Hernández for the opener of their three-game series in Chicago. Hernández flew back to the Dominican Republic for a personal reason but is expected to be back on Tuesday. Roberts said he planned to give him another day off to reset.

Hernández played in the team’s first 79 games after signing a one-year, $23.5 million contract in January. He is hitting .254 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs.

The next steps for Kershaw will depend on how he feels when he starts throwing again, Roberts said.

“Once he starts playing catch, there’s definitely going to be some bullpens and I guess he’d just go play another rehab game for me,” Roberts said. “But again, that’s Clayton and the training staff will have the conversation.”

Infielder Max Muncy, who is on the 60-day IL with an oblique injury, has been working with medicine balls and is expected to swing a bat this week. Roberts said he thinks Muncy will be back with the team shortly after the All-Star break.

Muncy has not played a game in the big league since May 15. He hit. 212 with 36 home runs and a career-high 105 RBIs for the Dodgers last year.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb