RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.-- Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw three innings of two-hit ball in his first minor-league rehabilitation appearance Wednesday night at LoanMart Field.
Throwing for Low-A affiliate the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, he allowed two hits and one run while striking out five hitters. He is trying to return from Nov. 3. surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder.
Helping the Quakes earn a 6-2 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers, Kershaw faced 11 batters and threw 36 pitches with 26 strikes.
Clayton Kershaw is BACK.
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 20, 2024
The @Dodgers lefty and 3-time Cy Young Award winner returns to the mound following offseason shoulder surgery and strikes out 5 in his first rehab start for the @RCQuakes! pic.twitter.com/qM6Gnf7TD5
Four of Kershaw's strikeouts were on off-speed pitches averaging around 71 mph. He struck out Randy De Jesus of the 66ers with a 90 mph fastball, according to 66ers' broadcast.
Kershaw has been making significant progress in his throwing program since May 3, when he started throwing off a mound for the first time since the surgery.
Former Dodger and current Quakes pitching coach Ramon Troncoso watches over Kershaw’s warmup.
— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) June 20, 2024
Troncoso was teammates with Kershaw from 2008 to 2011.@SportingTrib #ClaytonKershaw #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/HC0ZHZY0Vz
Kershaw allowed two hits, both of which were aimed at third baseman Logan Wagner. Wagner missed one, resulting in a triple by 66ers' Adrian Placencia, and allowed the other to pass for a single by Juan Flores.
“I think it went good," said Kershaw, whose movement on his off-speed pitches kept 66ers hitters off balance. "Check off a lot of boxes, got through three innings. First time in a game setting and all those things.
"It was fun to get back out there, I hadn’t done that in a while."
Kershaw said he would like to get three or four more starts before joining the Dodgers.
"You gotta see where the (Dodgers are) at as well, see what the need is up there as well," he said. "There's a lot of x-factors that some of them are in my control but some of then aren't so we'll just see how the next one goes and go from there."
Kershaw is finished for the evening after pitching three innings in his first rehab start for the RC Quakes https://t.co/o4aC1D2tA7
— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) June 20, 2024
About a week ago, Kershaw pitched a simulated game at Dodger Stadium and performed exceptionally well. He also had an outstanding bullpen session Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
In 2023, Kershaw was 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 137 strikeouts. He turned 36 in March and is projected to return to the majors in July.
