Clayton Kershaw Scratched Tonight

Where’s The Itch? Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

If you planned on watching this game for the Mike Trout–Clayton Kershaw matchup, you’ll have to wait until at least tomorrow because the NL MVP isn’t pitching tonight

It’s disconcerting whenever Kershaw has to miss a start or have one pushed back because he’s owed lots of dollars forever and injuries are the most threatening thing to an ace in his prime. The hip issue was originally discovered on Wednesday right before his start against the Oakland Athletics, from True Blue LA:

"Manager Don Mattingly said Kershaw didn’t feel anything in his last start, on Thursday in New York, a three-hit shutout of the Mets. But Kershaw felt soreness in his hip during his bullpen session, and the soreness remained on Tuesday."

So obviously not great news, and if that hip problem is at all related to the problem he had in 2012 where he missed a start in September, the Dodgers could have the biggest threat to the viability of starting rotation they’ve faced this season which is quite the statement.

Who knows if it is a DL situation but maybe placing him on the disabled list wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, consider that Clayton hasn’t pitched since the last Thursday where he flirted with a perfect game and totally dominated the Mets in a complete game shutout, and realize that no amount of Mike Bolsinger‘s can replace his production in the starting rotation.

Being extra conservative with his timetable is probably the shrewd move going forward, so worst case scenario Kershaw rests for a week and you wouldn’t even have to manipulate the rotation to get a 5th starter until after he comes back from the disabled list (the schedule is pretty favorable for the team this time of the year).

Thoughts on that, Clayton?

Oh.