Despite Manager Dave Roberts’ observation that the three-time Cy Young Award winner is making progress, there remains no set timetable for a return to the major league roster.
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw not only resumed his throwing program this week, the Dodgers saw improvement after a week of downtime following a recent bout with shoulder soreness.
Kershaw played catch in the Dodger Stadium outfield for a second consecutive day on Tuesday and appears to be back on track toward a return from offseason shoulder surgery.
“He’s gonna throw a ’pen tomorrow,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “He looks really good. I would argue that he looks even better than he did even when he was kind of making his way back a few weeks ago, at this point in time. So I’m really encouraged by it. Just watching him stretch it out, he stretched out yesterday, came back today, didn’t feel anything. Feels good.”
Kershaw seemed to be well on his way to possibly a late-July return when he made his way to Rancho Cucamonga on June 19 for a three-inning rehab outing. He gave up one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
But shoulder discomfort emerged and convinced the Dodgers to shut down Kershaw for a week. A subsequent MRI came back clean.
Despite the renewed bill of health, and Roberts’ observation that the three-time Cy Young Award winner continues to progress, there remains no set timetable for a return to the major league roster. The team has not ruled out an appearance before the All-Star break, which begins after a July 14 game at Detroit.
Kershaw hasn’t pitched since last season’s playoff struggle against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he gave up six first-inning runs while recording just one out.
“I think that Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache said that this is going to be kind of the ebbs and flows of this process,” Roberts said. “So it’s not something that we were completely taken aback by. I don’t think it’s going to set him back much.
“And I’m still holding out hope that he comes back sooner than later. I don’t want to say if it’s before the break or right after the break, but I’m encouraged where he’s at right now.”
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has not yet started a throwing program since he went on the injured list on June 16 with right triceps tightness. Roberts said Yamamoto is going through shoulder exercises.
“I think he’s pain-free, so that’s a good thing,” Roberts said. “Granted, he’s not throwing a baseball. So our hope is he starts playing catch soon. But the No. 1 thing is that he’s pain-free.”
Right-hander Walker Buehler is not with the team but has started a throwing program as he tries to recover from right hip inflammation. Buehler has been on the IL since June 19.
“There was some hip stuff that I think we’ve calmed down and took care of,” Roberts said. “So now it’s just go out there and move forward on the pitching side.”
Buehler returned from a nearly two-year absence following Tommy John surgery and has gone 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA in eight starts. Buehler has thrown as many as 92 pitches in a start this season, but did not reach 90 in any of his last three outings.
Right-hander Joe Kelly gave up one hit during a scoreless inning in a rehab outing with Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday. It was Kelly’s first time on a mound since May 5 when he retired the only Atlanta Braves batter he faced.
Kelly, who is working his way back from a right shoulder strain, could have as many as three more rehab outings and is not expected to return before the All-Star break.
Right-hander Brusdar Graterol, who has not pitched the season because of right shoulder discomfort, is expected to participate in a simulated game “soon,” according to Roberts. Graterol is working out at the team’s spring training complex at Glendale, Ariz.
Diamondbacks (TBD) at Dodgers (Gavin Stone, 9-2, 2.73 ERA), Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
