Clayton Kershaw is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers for his 18th season after signing a one-year contract. He starts the season on the injured list due to offseason surgery, continuing a trend of limited availability over recent years. Kershaw averaged 19 starts per season over the past four years—a stark contrast to his earlier years when he averaged 32 starts. His injuries kept him from participating in the 2024 postseason. Despite being a two-time World Series champion, he expresses dissatisfaction with not playing a more active role, fueling his desire to return strong this season.
While Kershaw is now a two-time World Series champion, he doesn't feel satisfied after not being able to contribute as much as he would have liked, according to Dylan Hernández of the L.A. Times: "It just didn't feel like it was the right time, even though we won [the World Series], you know, being on the shelf for that wasn't the way that I had scripted it out. Still super thankful to be a part of it last year, and you get to see everything, but I want to be out there when it happens. So that was a good motivating factor, for sure."
Clayton Kershaw explained his yearning for direct contribution to his team's successes: 'The joy on Kershaw's face running out of the bullpen after the Dodgers recorded the final out of the 2020 World Series was palpable. And as he explained, the feeling that comes with directly contributing to the final result is what he is chasing and is why he is lacing up his cleats in 2025.'
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