Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw is without a doubt one of the game's all-time greatest arms, with three NL Cy Young Awards to his name, as well as the 2014 NL MVP award and two World Series rings.
Earlier this month, the Dallas native announced that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2025 season, his 18th in the majors, and recently made an appearance from out of the bullpen Wednesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, his first non-starting appearance since 2019.
However, Kershaw is well aware of the talent that exists on the team, which includes Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to finish his career on a high note.
"I Can Do The Math"
"We have six amazing starters," the 37-year-old Kershaw said. "And so, it's just, yeah, I can do the math. So, if I want to be a part of it in any way, I'll do whatever they want."
With LA's bullpen situation currently in shambles, maybe this is the best move that manager Dave Roberts can make at this point in time, considering that Kershaw's bullpen appearance resulted in a scoreless ninth inning that saw the Boys in Blue take the game to extra innings and eventually come out with the win.
And Roberts isn't ready to cast out the legendary lefty into retirement just yet, still a firm believer that the former MVP has a set spot in the team as the playoffs loom.
“I still feel that there’s a role for him (Kershaw), a spot for him,” Roberts told The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
Kershaw's postseason record isn't nearly as Hall of Fame-worthy as his regular season stats, but his fiery grit and competitiveness is just what the Dodger bullpen needs as the team looks for their third World Series championship of the decade.