Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw allows five runs in 2025 debut vs. Angels following knee and toe surgeries

For a change, the Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed a starter back from the injured list Saturday. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw made his season debut against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium (GameTracker) after having knee and toe surgeries last fall. This is Kershaw’s 18th season with the Dodgers, tying Bill Russell’s and Zack Wheat’s franchise record.

“I’ve been super grateful for the Dodgers to keep giving me these opportunities to come out and pitch,” Kershaw said Friday (via MLB.com). “That’s just what I want to do. I want to go out there and pitch. I think the longevity part is just about honoring your commitment more than anything.”

Kershaw announced his return in style Saturday by striking out the first batter he faced, Zach Neto, on a foul-tip slider:

Things went downhill from there. The Angels tagged Kershaw for three runs in the first inning and five runs in four innings overall. He threw 83 pitches and Statcast said Kershaw’s fastball averaged 89.2 mph and topped out at 90.9 mph. That is right about where he has sat with his heater the last few years. More than anything, Kershaw’s location was poor in his 2025 debut.

Now 37, Kershaw was limited to seven starts by shoulder surgery last season, and he did not pitch during the team’s World Series run in October. He has not made 25 starts in a season since 2019 and there is no expectation he will do so this year. The Dodgers and Kershaw won’t push anything given his recent injury history. They’ll take whatever he can give them.

Even with Kershaw’s activation, the Dodgers still have seven starting pitchers on the injured list, plus another who is active as a hitter but can not pitch (Shohei Ohtani). Their rotation depth chart looks like this at the moment:

1. RHP Shohei Ohtani (rehabbing from elbow surgery)
2. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
3. LHP Blake Snell (out with shoulder inflammation)
4. RHP Tyler Glasnow (out with shoulder inflammation)
5. LHP Clayton Kershaw
6. RHP Roki Sasaki (out with shoulder impingement)
7. RHP Dustin May
8. RHP Tony Gonsolin
9. RHP Gavin Stone (will miss 2025 with shoulder surgery)
10. RHP Landon Knack
11. RHP Bobby Miller
12. LHP Justin Wrobleski
13. RHP River Ryan (will miss 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
14. RHP Emmet Sheehan (will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
15. RHP Kyle Hurt (will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)

Glasnow started a throwing program last week and could throw off a mound soon. Snell was cleared to begin a throwing program this week. Those two are trending in the right direction, though it will be weeks before they return. It’s typically a six-week progression from starting a throwing program (i.e. playing catch) to pitching in big-league games.

Kershaw made five minor-league rehab starts prior to rejoining the Dodgers on Saturday. He pitched to a 2.57 ERA and struck out 16 batters in 21 innings in those five rehab starts, and got stretched out to about 90 pitches. For a veteran like Kershaw, rehab games are about regaining feel for pitches. He wasn’t chasing results, not that the results were bad.

Saturday’s two strikeouts give Kershaw 2,970 for his career. He is 30 strikeouts away from becoming 20th pitcher in the 3,000-strikeout club and only the fourth lefty, joining Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and CC Sabathia.

Kershaw is the 13th different starting pitcher the Dodgers have used in 46 games this season. No team has used more. Despite that, Los Angeles entered play Saturday with baseball’s best record at 29-16.