Clayton Kershaw is like a soccer mom: experienced, proficient, and subtly vicious. As the lefty makes his way back to the bigs this upcoming Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers anticipate the return of their exceedingly accomplished ace. The numbers speak for themselves: 11 wins in 16 games, 1.79 ERA, and an unbelievably low 0.73 WHIP in the 2016 season so far. His return will not only help him rack up the points for my fantasy team, but will also assist him in grabbing yet another Cy Young Award (already a 3-time winner). But, as with every injury, there are still questions to be asked about his performance for the remainder of the season.
The first and probably most obvious concern is how his back will hold up. Yes, Kershaw claims that he will “never get hurt again” following his rehab, but I’m sure Derrick Rose had similar thoughts following his rehab after his first knee injury in the NBA, not to be too pessimistic. Also, it’s not like Kershaw endured a measly injury such as a broken toe or a dislocated finger; Kershaw injured his back, which is perhaps the last thing he would want to harm (excluding his left elbow ligament, knock on wood) considering the back endures a great amount of force not only helping the throwing arm come to a comfortable halt but also catching the impact generated by the legs so that Kershaw can keep his balance. Rehab helped prepare Kershaw enough to get him back on the mound and feeling stronger, but there are no guarantees that his injury has completely vanished.
The next concern for the Dodgers has to be his ability to pitch against Major League hitting. Although Kershaw had a successful start in the minors, I do not think it’s a surprise to anyone that there is a tremendous difference in skill-level when comparing the two ranks. Kershaw will have been out for more than 10 weeks by his start on September 9th, which is more then enough time to lose his overwhelmingly powerful arsenal that made him effective in the first half of the season. One could argue that Kershaw experiences a similar break over the winter, but this time he will not have the assistance of the extensive spring training to help him get ready to face major league hitters.
I have a great deal of confidence in Kershaw, perhaps to a fault. I believe he can pick up right where he left off and continue to dominate in the league he has been in control of since first joining the Dodger’s big league squad. The lefty will certainly be a great asset for Los Angeles as they hope to make a push at the title. He is a proven winner, and for his sake, and again for the sake of my fantasy team, I hope that all goes well.
