Clayton

Kershaw

Kershaw’s role with the club is mostly unknown at this point and will reportedly remain fluid, but this is a fantastic next step for the legend. Having someone with Kershaw’s experience in the building will always be a plus and it’s wonderful that he can still fulfill a role with the only team he’s ever known even after his playing career ended last season.

Hoffman fortifies Team USA’s high-leverage relief mix heading into a WBC semifinal showdown matchup against a star-studded Dominican Republic squad following a narrow win over Canada on Friday night. The 33-year-old Blue Jays closer recorded a career-high 33 saves last year in his Toronto debut. The move also marks the official end of Kershaw’s professional career after 18 seasons. Next stop, Cooperstown.

That is, of course, assuming the American squad advances against Canada, perhaps something we shouldn’t take for granted. Kershaw hasn’t officially logged an inning on the squad in the tournament. Ryan could start either of the presumptive final two games for Team USA.

Kershaw gave up a homer to Mickey Moniak on an 87-mph fastball. The retired left-hander’s velocity today was down about two mph from last year, which doesn’t bode very well for him getting key outs in the WBC. Ironically, because Kershaw was pulled before completing the fourth inning today and Team USA took the lead for good in the top of the fifth, the victory in this one went to Rockies minor leaguer Carson Skipper, who Team USA borrowed in case any of its pitchers couldn’t finish their assignments.

Kershaw officially retired from baseball after an 18-year career, but it seems like he’s hoping to make one final professional appearance. The future Hall of Famer has never pitched in the World Baseball Classic in his career, so this looks like a bucket list item for him. He’s unlikely to have a major role on a stacked pitching staff for Team USA. The 11-time All-Star posted a 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 84/35 K/BB ratio in 112 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2025 and went out a World Series champion.

Kershaw will work out of the bullpen for the Dodgers during the Fall Classic against the Blue Jays before hanging up his spikes after a legendary 18-year career. The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer was lit up for five runs — four earned — over two innings in his lone appearance out of the bullpen earlier this postseason against the Phillies. With Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani anchoring the rotation, Kershaw isn’t expected to play a major role in the World Series.

This could have been worse if not for a couple of baserunning mistakes by the Phillies. No gaffes on the bags could save him while allowing a pair of homers, however, and he issued three walks without picking up a strikeout. It was a reminder that Kershaw has been one of the best pitchers in the history of the sport in the regular season, with a mixed bag — at best — in the playoffs. The Dodgers aren’t likely to use Kershaw in a high-leverage situation anytime soon.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball for Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. It’s unclear at the moment whether Tyler Glasnow will take the ball for Game 4, if necessary, once the series shifts to Los Angeles after throwing 34 pitches in relief during Game 1. The Dodgers figure to have Clayton Kershaw available to follow Snell in relief on Monday evening after Shohei Ohtani fired six innings to help propel the club to a Game 1 victory.

As expected, Kershaw finds himself back in Los Angeles’ pitching plans to operate out of the bullpen to combat Philadelphia’s elite left sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper during the best-of-five series. Southpaw reliever Anthony Banda is also back on the roster as additional left-handed depth with Justin Wrobleski and Edgardo Hernandez left off.

Kershaw was left of the club’s Wild Card Series roster against the Reds after starting last weekend’s regular-season finale. It sounds like the Dodgers will go with a four-man rotation of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, with Kershaw and Emmet Sheehan as a couple of the many weapons that Roberts will have at his disposal out of the bullpen. The Phillies will certainly have their work cut out for them.