Dodgers notes: Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez

With a disappointing Dodgers homestand now complete and the team on the road, let’s read up on stories heading into Thursday.

Catherine Galanti wrote about Clayton Kershaw’s 200th win at Baseball Prospectus.

“This was the type of performance that Kershaw’s career was built on, reminding the world that he’s still got some gas left in the tank,” she wrote. “His delivery was the same as it ever has been, a stretch and a huge step towards the batter, closing the gap between the mound and the plate before he ever releases the ball.”

Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru and Cole Jacobson at MLB.com provide nine stats from Kershaw winning 200 games.

Bailey at Foolish Baseball also shared this rather remarkable Kershaw stat, and a record the left-hander broke on Tuesday.

Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic summed up the prospect of Mookie Betts possibly playing shortstop, providing proper context: “It isn’t expected to become a regular occurrence for the Dodgers, but rather a statement of how thin that shortstop group has suddenly become.”

Sarah Wexler at MLB.com detailed the Dodgers thinning options at shortstop.

J.D. Martinez had no extra-base hits in the first four games of the homestand, but then homered twice in a four-hit game Tuesday, then doubled Wednesday, driving in five runs in the last two games. He spoke with SportsNet LA after the series finale against the Mets:

Old friend Joey Gallo was activated off the injured list Wednesday after missing 10 games with a right intercostal strain. But he came back to the Twins with a higher batting average than when he left, thanks to a scoring change. Dan Hayes and Aaron Gleeman at The Athletic explain.

Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs had initial reservations about Salt Lake City’s bid for an expansion MLB franchise, but after looking into the feasibility found it’s not so farfetched after all.

On the latest Three-Inning Save podcast, Jacob Burch and I take stock of the up-and-down Dodgers.