The 2024 season may not be Clayton Kershaw’s swan song in Los Angeles.
His new contract with the Dodgers includes a player option for 2025, according to a person briefed on the negotiations. The clause gives Kershaw, who is rehabbing from major shoulder surgery and is expected to return by late this summer, the chance to spend another full season with the team and share a starting rotation with Shohei Ohtani.
Kershaw, who turns 36 in March, chose to return to Los Angeles rather than join his hometown Texas Rangers. He is scheduled to undergo a medical exam in Arizona this week, after which his contract with the Dodgers could become official. Financial terms of his contract were not disclosed. On Thursday, teams can place players on the 60-day injured list, and Kershaw is expected to start the season there.
Kershaw underwent surgery in November to repair the joint capsule and glenohumeral ligament in his shoulder. He started his pitching program last week. It will still be several months before he is able to compete, but his new contract gives him the opportunity to compete for multiple titles in Los Angeles. Kershaw also needs just 56 strikeouts to join the 3,000 strikeout club.
Kershaw posted a 2.46 ERA in 2023 despite dealing with shoulder issues. He will rejoin a rotation that was rebuilt over the winter. In addition to Ohtani, the Dodgers acquired Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and James Paxton. Ohtani will spend 2024 as a designated hitter as he recovers from surgery on his elbow. But in 2025, both he and Kershaw could be part of Los Angeles’ rotation.
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(Top photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
