Clayton Kershaw to make season debut on Sunday

After beginning the season on the injured list, Clayton Kershaw will make his 2020 debut on Sunday against the D-Backs, Dave Roberts confirmed to the media on Friday afternoon.

“Clayton is chomping at the bits to get back and itch in a major league game,” Roberts said. “It makes sense from every angle.”

As Eric mentioned the other day, this plan just made the most sense for the Dodgers. By making Kershaw the starter on Sunday, it allows everyone in the rotation to remain on five days rest through the remainder of the road trip. It will also give Walker Buehler, who made his 2020 debut last Tuesday, an extra day of rest.

After this series in Arizona wraps up, the Dodgers will travel to San Diego to take on the Padres for three games. The team has an off-day on Thursday before returning home to play the Giants next weekend.

Other news & notes

• Tony Gonsolin makes his 2020 debut tonight, starting for the Dodgers. Gonsolin began the season at the alternate site. He returns to Chase Field, where he made his major-league debut last season. It was a rough debut for him, as he allowed six runs in four innings. Roberts didn’t want to put a number on a pitch count for him, but said it was fair to expect 3-4 innings from him