OKLAHOMA CITY -- Clayton Kershaw took a huge step in his rehab process Wednesday afternoon as he completed a rehab start for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, Oklahoma City Comets.
Manager Dave Roberts expected Kershaw to throw only two innings to begin with, but because of how efficient he was in his start, he was allowed to pitch an inning more. The lefty completed his rehab by tossing three innings of shutout baseball only allowing two hits, no walks, and striking out two in just 30 pitches.
Every pitch from Clayton Kershaw’s rehab start with @OKC_comets
— Adrian Medina (@AdrianMedina_16) April 16, 2025
3.0 IP / 2 H / 0 R / 0 BB / 2 K
30 pitches/22 strikes#Dodgers pic.twitter.com/57SpJFMOT9
His fastball topped out at 89 mph and had great command of his iconic breaking ball and slider. Kershaw flashed a new pitch as he threw a sinker and splitter. The slider is most likely going to be Kershaw's put-away pitch as hitters today had a 50% whiff rate against it.
Clayton Kershaw just completed his first rehab start of 2025—and he looked like a completely different pitcher!
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) April 16, 2025
Known for his four-seam, slider, and curveball, Kershaw also flashed a splitter and a sinker. The stuff will undoubtedly improve as he continues to build up. pic.twitter.com/SoSP3nYTBf
Kershaw is not eligible to be off the IL until May 17 but has been adamant about a June return. If all goes well, he could make his 2025 season debut earlier than expected. The future Hall of Famer is just 32 punchouts away from 3,000 strikeouts, an accolade that would further enhance his historic career as one of the greatest lefties to ever pitch.
