Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw won’t return until early August after shoulder injury

Clayton Kershaw needs more time.

The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher won’t return to the rotation until at least early August, he confirmed Friday, via the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris. Kershaw was placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the All-Star game due to a lingering left shoulder injury, something the Dodgers initially didn’t think was serious or would take much time to recover.

While Kershaw insisted he feels fine, he said doctors told him his shoulder needs more time to heal after he underwent an MRI before the All-Star break.

Kershaw reported soreness in his left shoulder after his start against the Colorado Rockies on June 27. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of that game but threw just 79 pitches and left in the sixth due to some discomfort.

Kershaw landed on the 15-day injured list earlier this month, which knocked him out of what would have been his 10th career All-Star Game. He had multiple throwing sessions before going on the IL and nearly returned before the break, but the team opted to err on the side of caution.

Kershaw holds a 2.55 ERA and has 10 wins in 16 starts and 95 ⅓ innings this season, all of which are the best marks in the Dodgers’ rotation. The 35-year-old has made at least one trip to the IL in each of his past eight seasons. He missed part of the 2019 campaign due to shoulder inflammation, too.

It’s still unclear when Kershaw will return. The Dodgers resume their season Friday, when they kick off a three-game series with the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Dodgers closed the first half of the season on a four-game winning streak. They hold a 51-38 record, tied for the best in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks.