Clayton Kershaw's outlook could be better.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ace has been shut down from throwing after he told manager Dave Roberts he didn't feel great while playing catch Monday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
"It's not ideal," Roberts said, adding he's unsure when Kershaw will throw again.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner hadn't thrown since he "didn't feel right" during a bullpen session last week. Roberts indicated at the time the issue was arm-related and wasn't tied to the back problems that have plagued Kershaw in recent years.
Despite the setback, no MRI has been scheduled, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
Kershaw, 30, has remained effective despite recurring injuries that have prevented him from reaching the 200-inning plateau for three straight seasons. He's gone 39-13 with a 2.26 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while averaging 162 innings per year over that span.
If the Dodgers are without Kershaw for a prolonged amount of time, the rotation will remain a strength with Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Rich Hill, and Kenta Maeda already in line for starts. Los Angeles also has Ross Stripling, Julio Urias, Dennis Santana, and others waiting in the wings.
