Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw says he plans to pitch in 2025

Clayton Kershaw plans to pitch in 2025.

The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner announced his plans during Fox's pregame show for Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday. Kershaw had his 2024 season canceled due to bone spurs in his left toe. Due to the injury, he was unavailable as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers during their postseason run.

As Kershaw explained, he didn't want to have surgery to remove the bone spur and then try to come back when his arm felt good again. He has a $10 million player option for 2025.

Kershaw, 36, last pitched on Aug. 30, when he gave up a start in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks after giving up a home run to Corbin Carroll. At that point, he had thrown 27 pitches and allowed three runs and three hits.

After shoulder surgery last offseason, Kershaw endured a lengthy recovery and rehab that kept him from pitching for the Dodgers until late July. He was limited to seven starts and 30 innings, compiling a 4.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 36 hits allowed.

Kershaw hoped to throw in the postseason and kept throwing to stay ready. However, he now admits that this probably made the toe problem worse.

“Really, it’s not getting any better, so I can’t pitch,” Kershaw told reporters before the NLDS, via USA Today. “I had to protect my arm to have a chance, and by doing that I probably made things worse.”

Kershaw is just 32 strikeouts away from throwing 3,000 pitches in his career, which would make him the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach that total.

In addition to his 2,968 strikeouts in 2,742 2/3 innings, the left-hander has a career record of 2.50 ERA and 212-94. He won the NL MVP Award along with the Cy Young Award in 2014, finishing 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 198 innings.