Clayton Kershaw was all smiles as he walked from the house bullpen at Dodger Stadium to the third-base dugout Tuesday.
“One other one down,” he mentioned, to nobody particularly, surrounded by a gaggle of reporters.
Quickly, the remainder of the Dodgers’ employees gathered on the mound for pitchers’ fielding apply. Kershaw, who’s nonetheless making incremental progress in his rehabilitation from shoulder surgical procedure, didn’t should take part. However that’s not the one motive he was smiling.
“Ticked up with the rate, felt good, free and simple, actually encouraging,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned of Kershaw’s second bullpen session within the final week. “He’s in a great temper. Had a whole lot of eyeballs on him. Actually good day.”
Roberts mentioned that Kershaw’s 20-pitch session consisted solely of fastballs and sinkers.
“Whenever you really feel good, your physique feels good, then in places you in a a lot better temper. So he’s in a great place,” Roberts mentioned of Kershaw. “Simply the sensation of being free right now — straightforward, letting him throw the ball as onerous as he can with out having ache.”
The novel nature of Kershaw’s surgical procedure (glenohumeral ligament and capsule restore) has made his timetable for return particularly onerous to venture. Kershaw initially hoped to be throwing off a mound six months after the process final November and he met that that focus on — to the day — simply final Friday.
Ideally, Kershaw will see his velocity enhance, develop his pitch combine, and progress to longer bullpen periods every time he throws. Most of that progress is but to come back as he eyes a return later this season.
The three-time Cy Younger Award winner is coming off a 2023 season through which he led the group in begins (24) and innings (131.2) regardless of battling shoulder issues late within the yr. He re-signed with the Dodgers on Feb. 9, and his subsequent mound look will give him 17 seasons in a Dodger uniform.
Tuesday’s bullpen session introduced Kershaw one step nearer to that exceptional milestone.
Picture Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports activities
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