Clayton Kershaw on possible return in 2024: 'I think the competitor in me doesn't want it to end the way it did'
The 35-year-old believes he can make a return to the mound next summer
Clayton Kershaw said Wednesday that he is undecided about his playing future and remains "in that process" of discussing his plans for 2024 with his wife.
“I’m excited to get back after the surgery and throw a ball and have it not hurt,” he told AM 570 LA Sports.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher had the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule of his left shoulder repaired in early November, days after he became an unrestricted free agent. Kershaw, 35, has battled numerous injuries in recent years. The shoulder injury caused him to miss six weeks in 2023.
After returning from the injured list in August, Kershaw made nine starts the rest of the regular season and did not pitch more than 5 1/3 innings in any of them. His only postseason appearance saw him give up six runs and record only one out in the first inning of the Dodgers' NL Division Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
When asked in November about Kershaw's future with the franchise, Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, said the team "absolutely" would welcome the veteran pitcher back.
“The ball is squarely in [the Kershaw family's] court,” Friedman said.
Kershaw joked Wednesday that the Dodgers' signing of Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract gave him more time to think about his baseball future.
"It's just so much money, isn't it?" Kershaw said. "This is crazy. But I think he is a unique, unique talent. I don't think there's anybody like him, and once he starts pitching again, everybody wants to watch it. You know, I want to watch it."
Kershaw said he believes he can make a return sometime next summer, which was his initial plan following the surgery announcement. “I feel good about that,” he said.
Going out on a low note is not how Kershaw wants to end his baseball career. With the addition of Ohtani, as well as Tyler Glasnow via trade Thursday, the Dodgers will enter the 2024 MLB season with a "World Series or bust" mentality — and Kershaw wants to be part of that.
"I think the competitor in me doesn't want it to end the way it did," he said. "I want to win. I want to win another World Series."
