Dodgers will deploy six-man rotation with Clayton Kershaw returning

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to get franchise royalty Clayton Kershaw back on the hill in the coming days.

Kershaw was removed from an Aug. 4 start against the San Francisco Giants due to a back injury, which resulted in the Dodgers placing him on the injured list. The left-hander threw a simulated game on Saturday, where he threw 70 pitches across four innings.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Sunday that he'll deploy a six-man starting rotation for at least "a couple weeks" when Kershaw returns to stretch out their pitching staff.

Kershaw said that he has felt "good for a while," the Orange County Register reported.

"I felt good for a while now," Kershaw said. "The situation we’re in, this is more kind of a roster decision more than anything. I’ve felt pretty good for a while now. We took it slow, did two sim games and now ready to go. Sometimes you can’t decide when you get to pitch. They tell you. I’m just trying to listen to them as best I can, not get too impatient."

Kershaw was also placed on the injured list in May due to a pelvis injury. When healthy, he has been having another reputable season in a likely Hall of Fame career. Kershaw has posted a 2.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 88 strikeouts across 15 starts (85.1 innings). He was also the NL starting pitcher in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, tossing one scoreless inning.

The career-long Dodger has suffered back, elbow and pelvis injuries in recent years and hasn't made 30 starts in the regular season since 2015. 

Los Angeles also lost right-hander Walker Buehler in June to an elbow injury. It was recently announced that the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. The Dodgers also traded Mitch White, who made 10 starts, to the Toronto Blue Jays at the MLB trade deadline.

Despite the aforementioned occurrences, Los Angeles has possessed one of the best starting rotations in the sport. Their rotation entered Sunday night with a combined 2.68 ERA (first in MLB), 3.45 FIP (third) and 13.4 WAR (third). 

Julio Urias owns a 2.32 ERA. Tony Gonsolin owns a 2.10 ERA. Tyler Anderson owns a 2.69 ERA. Andrew Heaney and Ryan Pepiot have made scattered starts throughout the season. Dustin May recently came off the injured list.

The Dodgers own the best record in MLB at 88-38 and have a 19.5-game lead on the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West.