What Kershaw's return will mean to Dodgers

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SAN DIEGO -- Lance Lynn has pitched well in his first two starts, but the Dodgers didn’t make much of a splash on the starting pitching side before last week’s Trade Deadline.

Whether that decision (and Eduardo Rodriguez declining a deal) comes back to haunt them, will be determined by what happens over the rest of the season and playoffs. But the biggest acquisition the Dodgers could be making is getting likely first-ballot Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw back from the injured list.

Before his left shoulder injury in late June, Kershaw was the Dodgers’ best pitcher, and one of the top performers in the league. The left-hander has been the one constant for the Dodgers for over a decade. When they’ve needed him, Kershaw, more often than not, has come through.

That’s why it’s probably not a surprise that the Dodgers’ starting rotation posted a 6.18 ERA in July, the worst since they moved to Los Angeles, the one month they’ve been without Kershaw this season.

Kershaw is tentatively scheduled to make his return to the Dodgers on Thursday against the Rockies. Manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t say that definitively, but he said it’s “very likely” the left-hander is back, giving the Dodgers a much-needed boost in the rotation.

“For the team, I know that we all get excited when he takes the baseball,” Roberts said. “You just feel more comfortable and confident when Kersh is active. Our hope is Thursday. As each passing day goes by, I hope that comes to pass.”

Once Kershaw returns, the Dodgers will be mindful of his workload, at least to start. Kershaw isn’t going through a rehab assignment, instead opting to throw two simulated games at Dodger Stadium instead.

It’s also paramount to keep Kershaw fresh and healthy, given the nature of a shoulder injury and how it could linger. At this stage of the season, all the Dodgers care about is getting their ace into October feeling healthy.

“I think we have a good enough relationship that we talk about expectations. We have to. It’s been quite some time,” Roberts said. “The most he’s thrown has been a four-inning sim game. Not in a Major League game. So all that stuff plays into the calculus, and then you layer on the game itself. But he’s a smart guy. He’s not trying to put himself in harm’s way, nor am I.”