Kershaw still hopes he can pitch for the playoff-bound Dodgers once the persistent toe injury heals

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw is confident he can pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason even though his persistent toe injury still hasn’t healed.

The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner was limited to playing catcher instead of batter this week. Kershaw was on the injured list on August 31 with a bone spur in his left big toe. He did not return to pitch until July 25 after suffering an offseason shoulder injury.

“I’m not giving up,” Kershaw said Thursday before the Dodgers’ series finale against San Diego. “I will keep trying every day. Maybe one day it will feel better. I’m waiting for that day to come.”

Because of his toe, Kershaw cannot lean the way he wants, and other areas of his body overcompensate.

“Whenever my toe feels better, I feel confident that I’m OK,” he said. “But other things come up when I don’t throw normally. There’s only a maximum percentage I can throw right now.”

The 36-year-old left-hander had a 2-2 record with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts before getting injured.

Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw still needs to build up, get a bullpen session and face hitters.

“He’s just not going to be viable for a couple of weeks and then we’ll see what that looks like in terms of our playoff status,” Roberts said.

The 10-time All-Star said doctors assured him he would not require surgery.

“It’s something that takes time, I guess, and that’s the worst part because I’m not good at it,” Kershaw said. “My arm, I keep it going as best I can. I really think I’ll be ready to pitch when my toe gets better. I need to get close to 100% so I can throw.”

He’s eager to redeem himself after last year’s stunning postseason debacle. Kershaw was knocked down by Arizona in Game 1 of the National League Division Series and gave up six hits and six runs in the first inning.

His postseason ERA is 4.22 over 194 innings. His 2.48 regular-season ERA is the best of any MLB pitcher with at least 1,500 innings pitched since 1920.

Kershaw signed a one-year contract plus a player option for 2025 worth $5 million in February. If he is healthy at the end of this season, he is eligible for a $15 million boost depending on criteria such as starts or relief innings.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB