MLB Opening Night: Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw scratched from start
By Matt Shetler
We are only four days away from MLB Opening Night when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres to officially kick off the 2014 season.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they will have to do so without their ace.
Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw has an inflamed muscle in his upper back and will miss his next scheduled start Sunday, the team announced.
Kershaw reportedly complained of tightness during a workout on Tuesday and an MRI showed inflammation in a back muscle.
That’s definitely not what the Dodgers wanted to hear concerning last year’s Cy Young Award winner, especially considering that they just invested $215 million into him this offseason.
Kershaw got his season off to a solid start last week, earning a victory in the Opening Day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia last weekend, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out seven.
The left hander was 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 232 strikeouts in 236 innings last season. In a career that includes 183 starts and almost 1,200 innings, Kershaw has never been on the disabled list and all reports suggest that this is merely a precaution.
Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu and Dan Haren could be options to take Kershaw’s spot Sunday night.