The Dodgers have an ace up their sleeve.
Los Angeles Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman confirmed to fans in attendance at the team's All-Access event on Thursday night that Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to make a rehab appearance this weekend in Rancho Cucamonga for the Class-A Quakes organization.
"We'll get through that one, then we'll see where we're at," he told the crowd at the event. "He wants to be out there yesterday. We want him out there yesterday. Its just about making sure when we get him back he's back to stay back."
Without fully admitting he's back, Friedman in not so many words implied that Kershaw is back. His rehab appearance is seen as the final step in his recovery from a herniated disc in his lower back that has had the three-time Cy Young Award winner out for the past 10 weeks.
Kershaw is already familiar with many of the Quakes players after he faced them in a 35-pitch, two-inning, simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. One of those players he won't soon forget, was 18-year-old Carlos Rincon, who hit a homer off Kershaw in the glorified practice session.
"Last time I came out of this OK, got home and felt terrible," Kershaw told Dodgers' Insider Jon Weisman after the sim game on Tuesday. "Tomorrow's probably a better time to answer. As of this second, I feel ok."
Thankfully, Kershaw left the sim game unscathed and felt well enough to make a rehab appearance this weekend before the minor league season ends on Monday.
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Since Kershaw last threw on Tuesday, it's a reasonable assumption that he could start for the Quakes on either Saturday or Sunday when they face Colorado Rockies Affiliate the Modesto Nuts just a couple hours away from Dodger Stadium.
If Kershaw feels okay after throwing in his first competitive game since June, he could return to the rotation in time for a reunion with former Manager Don Mattingly when the Dodgers travel to Miami next weekend.
Kershaw has long told the front office that when he's ready to return he only wanted to make one rehab appearance before being activated off the disabled list. As previously mentioned, with the minor league season coming to an end, barring a setback, this weekend will likely be his one and only rehab assignment.
The Dodgers have treaded water quite nicely without their MVP and have a record of 33-23 since Kershaw last pitched against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 26. Over that span, the team has gained 10 games on the San Francisco Giants, and now lead the National League West by two games entering into this weekend's series with the San Diego Padres.
However, don't let the Dodgers record without Kershaw fool you. They absolutely need their ace in the rotation down the stretch if they want any chance of winning the division and making a deep playoff run.
Without Kershaw, the Dodgers starting pitchers have a 4.89 ERA and average a paltry 4.87 innings per start in 56 games. Comparatively, Kershaw is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA and averages 7.56 innings per start in the 16 games before he was placed on the disabled list.
Kershaw was a leading candidate to win the 2016 Cy Young Award and possibly the MVP before he went down with the injury. Those milestones are now unlikely with the amount of time he missed, but he certainly will help the team down the stretch in their quest for a fourth consecutive NL West title.
According to fivethirtyeight.com, the Dodgers have a 75 percent chance of winning the NL West and a 95 percent chance of making the playoffs. With the addition of Kershaw, those odds go to 80 percent and 98 percent, respectively.
In other words, as soon as Kershaw returns the fun at the Ravine really starts.
BREAKING: Clayton Kershaw coming to LoanMart Field. https://t.co/DBWXdb8keK — RC Quakes Baseball (@RCQuakes) September 2, 2016
