CHICAGO — Clayton Kershaw’s comeback has been put on hold due to “lingering soreness” in his surgically repaired pitching shoulder.
The Dodgers left-hander threw 37 pitches in three innings during a rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga last week, but he experienced soreness in his shoulder in the days following his first game action since the surgery last November.
According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, an MRI revealed “no new incidents” in the shoulder “so that’s why we feel very comfortable and confident that this is just a blip.”
But Kershaw has been shut down from throwing for at least a week and will not make the second rehab start that was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.
“This is part of the process as far as anyone that goes through rehab, that goes through a surgery, and is on his way back,” Roberts said.
“It’s not surprising. It’s not perfect, but it’s not surprising in the fact that there is a little bit of a regression in the throwing process.”
The plan at this point, Roberts said, is for Kershaw to hold off on throwing for however long it takes to get “the soreness out, the inflammation out, whatever you call it, and then we start to build back up.”
If the three-time Cy Young Award winner is able to resume throwing after only a week, a bullpen session or two would be likely before he returned to a rehab assignment. That would seem to push Kershaw’s next rehab start beyond the All-Star break and make his return to the Dodgers unlikely before August.
Kershaw said in spring training that his hope was to return in “July-ish, August-ish.”
‘SHO’ TIME
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was named the National League Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Ohtani was 11 for 24 with four home runs, 11 RBIs, three doubles and eight runs scored during six games last week. He has six home runs over his past seven games with an extra-base hit, a run scored and an RBI in each of those games (a franchise record for the Dodgers).
“Just pure talent, Shohei is on a different level,” Roberts said. “But now you layer in the plate discipline, and that puts him on another level.
“I believe talent can get you a long way, but to be disciplined in the strike zone makes you even more dangerous. Willing to take first base via the walk, willing to take a 3-2 slider that’s a ball – those things are separators, and that’s what he’s doing.”
In the latest update of All-Star voting, Ohtani is in first place at DH while injured Mookie Betts still leads at shortstop. Freddie Freeman is a distant second to Bryce Harper at first base. Teoscar Hernandez is third among NL outfielders.
TEO OUT
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was not with the Dodgers on Monday. He returned to the Dominican Republic to attend his grandfather’s funeral. Hernandez is expected to rejoin the Dodgers on Tuesday.
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Hernandez had started all of the Dodgers’ first 79 games before Monday.
KNACK IN
Right-hander Landon Knack has remained with the Dodgers since his spot start on Friday against the Angels and will remain in the starting rotation “for now,” Roberts said. Knack’s next start will come during the weekend series in San Francisco.
“He’s earned it, absolutely,” Roberts said.
Knack is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts for the Dodgers this season. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in any of his starts.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 1-1, 6.00 ERA) at White Sox (RHP Chris Flexen, 2-6, 5.03 ERA), Tuesday, 5:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM