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Results from an MRI on Clayton Kershaw’s left forearm Friday showed inflammation, which was an expected yet still welcome relief.
“I think we all felt there was going to be nothing from it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “But just to get confirmation certainly is a very good thing.”
Kershaw felt soreness in his forearm playing catch earlier in the week, and was placed on the injured list on Wednesday. He was set to start Friday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, which will now be started by David Price.
Dodgers/D-backs lineups
| Pos | D-backs | Pos | Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | D-backs | Pos | Dodgers |
| SS | Ahmed | RF | Betts |
| RF | Rojas (L) | 1B | Muncy (L) |
| 2B | Escobar (S) | 3B | Turner |
| 1B | Walker | CF | Bellinger (L) |
| LF | Peralta (L) | C | Smith |
| 3B | Cabrera (S) | 2B | Taylor |
| CF | Smith (L) | SS | Lux (L) |
| C | Varsho (L) | LF | Pollock |
| P | Widener (L) | P | Price (L) |
The plan is for Kershaw to play catch on Saturday, then rest during the All-Star break. There isn’t yet a timetable for when he might throw a bullpen session next.
“We’ll know more as he plays catch. I think for us, just making sure we get that inflammation to dissipate and go from there,” Roberts said. “We just wanted to check all the boxes and make sure there’s nothing else to it.”
Kershaw is technically able to be activated as early as July 17, the second game after the All-Star break. But it’s unclear when he might start next. The Dodgers only have three healthy starting pitchers on the active roster. Price, who is expected to pitch three innings or so on Friday vs. Arizona, is a fourth — “It’s a fair assumption, given where we’re at as far as the roster with starting pitching,” Roberts said. — so the Dodgers could push back Kershaw until the fifth game after the break, against the Giants on Tuesday, July 20 if they want to.
But that’s all contingent on Kershaw being ready to return. Roberts did say the All-Star break and Kershaw potentially only missing one start helped tilt the scales in whether to place Kershaw on the IL.
“Having four days that you’re not really losing anything made it easy,” Roberts said.
Arizona roster moves
The Diamondbacks made a few transactions before the series opener. Pitcher Taylor Widener was activated off the injured list after missing six weeks with a right groin strain. The right-hander will start the series opener.
Left-hander Alex Young was also recalled by Arizona to join the bullpen. To make roster room, the D-backs optioned pitcher Humberto Castellanos and utility man Andrew Young to Triple-A Reno.