In a procedural maneuver that reveals the increasing chance Clayton Kershaw will not pitch again for the Dodgers this season, the team shifted him to the 60-day disabled list on Wednesday afternoon as part of a flurry of roster moves.
Kershaw will not be eligible to pitch until Aug. 27 as he recovers from a herniated disk in his lower back. Kershaw has not pitched for the team since June 26 and has not picked up a baseball since experiencing a setback after a simulated game on July 16.
Manager Dave Roberts indicated there was no change in Kershaw's condition that explained his shift to this version of the disabled list. The team did not plan for him to pitch by then, anyway, Roberts explained.
"You're leaving it to the doctors and to Clayton to stabilize the back," Roberts said. "And I just trust that."
Roberts declined to say when Kershaw would need to resume throwing to have a chance to pitch again this season.
"We haven't talked about that," Roberts said. "It probably makes sense to do that. But we're taking the approach of, he's going to get back as soon as he can. And when he can pick up a baseball, at that point in time, we'll see where we're at, if it's even feasible. But we expect it to work.
"As you can see, we've been reluctant, from the beginning with Clayton, with giving him a deadline or a timetable or anything like that."
