Clayton Kershaw to start Game 4 of NLCS

After being scratched from Game 2 of the NLCS, Clayton Kershaw will take the mound against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.

Prior to the start of the NLCS, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that he was starting Walker Buehler in Game 1 and Clayton Kershaw in Game 2. After the Dodgers dropped the series-opener to the Atlanta Braves, Dodgers fans received soul-crushing news that Kershaw was scratched from his scheduled start due to back spasms, forcing Roberts to put  rookie Tony Gonsolin on the mound, which ended in a loss.

After the Dodgers crushed the Braves 15-3 on Wednesday night, Roberts revealed in a postgame press conference that Kershaw will start Game 4 on Thursday.

Kershaw returns with the chance to tie the series for LA

Kershaw picked up the back spasm while throwing a bullpen session this past Saturday, per Roberts. In fact, as soon as the left-hander revealed the ailment, the team pulled Gonsolin from a scheduled simulated game that day to get him ready for Game 2.

In Kershaw’s place, Gonsolin surrendered five earned runs on three hits while striking out seven batters in 4.1 innings of work in Los Angeles’ 8-7 loss to the Braves.

Kershaw had an up-and-down postseason before the back injury. The veteran managed to pitch eight shutout innings and record 13 strikeouts in the Dodgers’ Wild Card series clincher against the Milwaukee Brewers. But in NLDS Game 2 against the Padres, Kershaw allowed three earned runs on six hits, two of those RBI’s coming on back-to-back solo home runs by Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer. Despite the so-so outing by Kershaw, Los Angeles managed to eke out the 6-5 win.

Anything less than a World Series ring is unacceptable for the Dodgers, and for them to break their string of bad luck in the postseason, they need a solid outing from Kershaw on Thursday. The real question is: will Kershaw be 100-percent when taking the mound?