From Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times comes word that Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday night in San Diego because of inflammation in the upper left part of his back. An MRI was taken Wednesday morning and the results were negative, so it is being labeled a minor injury for now.
Kershaw made his 2014 regular-season debut last week in Australia, holding the Diamondbacks to one run over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 Dodgers victory. One has to wonder whether the long flight back to camp in Arizona is what caused the upper back injury.
The date of Kershaw’s next start will be determined by his progress in side sessions over the next week.
Kershaw, 26, signed a seven-year, $215 million contract extension with Los Angeles in January.
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UPDATE, 9:13 p.m. ET: A promising follow-up from Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports:
Dodgers are somewhat optimistic Kershaw could pitch in their 2nd domestic series, against SF. He was symptom-free today. Being cautious.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) March 27, 2014
I understand Kershaw fought Dodgers on decision to scratch him from start. So, again, extreme caution here.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) March 27, 2014
