Now, Kershaw will rest another four days and is scheduled to start Friday in Seattle. Right-hander Gavin Stone, the No. 5 prospect in Los Angeles, will take the mound on Monday in place of Kershaw.
Ryan Yarbrough, who caught the ball on Sunday, will be on paternity leave on Monday to make way for Stone on the active roster. Yarbrough is expected to return to the team on Friday.
Kershaw, who has seen a significant drop in pitch velocity in his last two outings, continues to battle a left shoulder injury that sidelined him for more than a month earlier this season. according to Roberts.
But the Los Angeles manager insisted that the decision to delay the veteran’s start had nothing to do with an injury. Roberts said there was “no disappointment” in making the move, adding that the thinking behind the decision was to align Kershaw for his future outings.
“He’s just trying to stay in shape,” Roberts said. “And I talked to him about what we predicted, so to speak, and he agreed.”
With Kershaw now scheduled to pitch on Friday instead of Monday, he has nine days off between starts. He may also have just three starts left in the regular season, against the Mariners, Giants and Rockies.
If healthy, Kershaw will once again be tasked with being a key part of the Dodgers’ rotation, a team hampered by injuries for most of the season and currently without Mexican Julio César UrÃas, who is on administrative leave. on leave after being charged with domestic violence.
Assuming the Dodgers win the NL West (their magic number is 7), they will host Game 1 of the NL Division Series on October 7 at Dodger Stadium. The second game will take place on the 9th.
