Clayton Kershaw struggled in his first major league appearance in nearly nine months, looking rusty during a four-inning outing on Saturday night. The three-time Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and five hits, walking three and striking out two, in a no-decision as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Los Angeles Angels 11-9. Kershaw threw 48 of his 83 pitches for strikes, but was unable to hold off the Angels.
“It’s a special thing to get to pitch at Dodger Stadium again,” Kershaw said after the game. “Obviously, I wanted to pitch better. I need to pitch better going forward. There were some glimpses of my stuff being there, which is good. The problem tonight was just command. I had really bad command.”
This start marked Kershaw’s debut for the 2025 season after recovering from offseason toe and knee surgeries. The 37-year-old left-hander had a rough start, giving up three runs in the first inning, with Logan O’Hoppe hitting a two-run single and Matthew Lugo adding an RBI single. The Dodgers managed to tie the game in the bottom of the first, but the Angels retook the lead with a home run from Taylor Ward in the third inning and a sacrifice fly from Zach Neto in the fourth. Kershaw exited after four innings, trailing 5-4.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Kershaw struggled to finish off hitters despite getting to several two-strike counts. “He got to a lot of two-strike counts and couldn’t put hitters away, where typically that’s his hallmark,” Roberts said. “Tonight, he just couldn’t put guys away. The stuff overall I was excited about.”
Kershaw made his final rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City last Sunday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts over four innings on 57 pitches. When asked about the transition from rehab starts to the majors, Kershaw acknowledged that it’s a different challenge. “This is where the performance starts,” Kershaw said. “Now we start analyzing performance and try to figure out how to get people out consistently. It’s hard to compare, because it’s a completely different animal.”
Last season, Kershaw made just seven big league starts, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA before his season ended in August due to pain in his left big toe. His injuries prevented him from pitching in the postseason, where the Dodgers went on to win their eighth World Series title.
By taking the mound on Saturday, Kershaw began his 18th season with the Dodgers, tying the franchise record for most seasons played, shared with Hall of Fame outfielder Zack Wheat and shortstop Bill Russell.
“Leading up to this, it’s definitely… I don’t like the word emotional, but there’s definitely some thoughts,” Kershaw said. “It’s just special, you know? As you get older and you’ve done it more, you learn to appreciate it more. It was different.”
Entering the game with a career record of 212-94 and a 2.50 ERA in 432 appearances, Kershaw continues to be a key figure in the Dodgers’ pitching staff since debuting in 2008.
