Kershaw's first game action since Oct. 'good stepping stone'

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Clayton Kershaw made his first Cactus League start on Friday in the Dodgers’ 3-3 tie against the Brewers at Camelback Ranch. It was his first time participating in game action since leaving a start with a left elbow injury on Oct. 1.

Over the course of the next three-and-a-half weeks, all the Dodgers will focus on is Kershaw’s health. If his arm is in a good spot, the left-hander will help the rotation tremendously. Friday’s outing was a solid start for Kershaw as he went 1 1/3 innings, needing just 21 pitches to get four outs.

“It wasn’t great, honestly. But the first one -- just make sure everything is working right, you feel good, kind of get the adrenaline of the fans as best you can,” Kershaw said. “Now I know what I need to work on. It’s a good stepping stone.”

Getting through two ups was the first step for Kershaw this spring. He will continue building up -- just like every other Dodgers starter -- over his next couple of starts. His next start could feature getting through at least two innings. Kershaw, barring injury, is working towards being as stretched out as possible for the regular season. The Dodgers’ expectation is that their starters will be around five innings and 75 pitches for the start of the regular season.

“I don’t know exactly what is going to happen but probably start on the five-day plan now and get ready for the season,” Kershaw said. “Health was the most important thing for me. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”

Turner’s future decision
While the Dodgers celebrated the signing of Freddie Freeman on Friday, one of the tasks on their to-do list over the next 12 months is to try and keep Trea Turner in town for as long as they can.

Turner is entering the last year of his current contract. The Dodgers have had brief conversations with Turner and his representation about a contract extension, but nothing substantial. If they can’t come to terms, likely before the start of the regular season, the Dodgers and Turner will continue to be engaged over the course of next winter.

For Turner, the decision of where he’ll spend the rest of his career will come down to many factors. Money and length of contract could play a big role, just as it does with almost every free agent. But the desire to win and the connections within the organization are also key factors, said Turner.

There’s also a growing narrative from the outside that Turner, who is from Florida, would prefer going back to the East Coast as opposed to spending what could be the rest of his career in California. How big of a factor is that for Turner in his decision?

“I would love to be on the East Coast next to my family, my wife’s family. I think the travel is a lot easier than a six-hour flight,” Turner told MLB.com. “But that’s something that if we make the decision to be on the West Coast, that’s something we have to work with and we can. I think we’re flexible. You always have your preferences, you always want things, but in this crazy game, you don’t always get what you want and you have to make sacrifices here and there and maybe that’s a sacrifice, maybe it’s not. We’ll see.”

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked Friday if the club had been in communication with Turner about a possible contract extension.

“We keep all those things internal. But I think it goes without saying how much we respect and appreciate Trea as a player,” Friedman said. “But we also appreciate that it’s a very personal choice and also more something for the player to share than for the team.”