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Kershaw won't require surgery for herniated disc

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The Los Angeles Dodgers dodged a bullet Thursday when the club announced left-hander Clayton Kershaw will avoid surgery after a recent back flare-up forced him to the 15-day disabled list.

Kershaw was diagnosed with a mild disc herniation.

There's no timetable for his return after he received an epidural to relieve the pain Thursday morning.

"I can say (the chances of only 15 days are) great, but I think how his body responds to the epidural is the most telling," manager Dave Roberts told reporters before the Dodgers took on the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. "I don't know how it's going to be. I'm hopeful, but I can't say either way. In the coming days, we'll know how he responds to that and that will give us more direction."

The 28-year-old Dodgers ace had been receiving treatment for his ailing back for two weeks before reporting more discomfort after allowing four earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

He flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday where he was examined by back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins and received the bad news.

The durable Kershaw has only hit the DL once in his career, missing time in 2014 with an upper back injury.

Losing Kershaw adds another name to the growing list of Dodgers injuries, including a plethora of pitchers such as Brett Anderson (back), Brandon McCarthy (Tommy John), Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder), and Alex Wood (elbow).

The Dodgers acquired Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves for a pair of minor-leaguers Thursday to mitigate the loss of their ace.

Kershaw was dominating hitters this season, posting an 11-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in 16 starts, which included 145 strikeouts and just nine walks.

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