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Report: Dodgers have shown interest in Verlander

Rick Osentoski / Reuters

With a stint on the disabled list looming for Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers could look to the trade market to fill the void in their rotation.

Less than 24 hours after Kershaw was lifted from his start against the Atlanta Braves due to lower back tightness, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Dodgers have shown interest in Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander, noting Monday that their interest could intensify should Kershaw receive a discouraging diagnosis. Kershaw will undergo a series of scans Monday, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who expects the three-time Cy Young award winner to land on the DL but couldn't offer a timetable following Sunday's win at Dodger Stadium.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding Kershaw, then, and with Brandon McCarthy expected to land on the disabled list Monday, too, as the trade deadline nears, the Dodgers are the latest team to check in on Verlander, the former MVP who has also drawn interest of late from the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. Verlander, who finished second in American League Cy Young voting last season, has regressed this year, posting a 4.54 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.47 WHIP over 20 starts, but he has been sharper of late, allowing just five earned runs while notching 19 strikeouts in 19 innings over his last three outings (2.37 ERA).

Related: Verlander realistic about trade rumors: 'Just the way sports are now'

That said, any trade would have to be approved by Verlander, who has 10-and-five no-trade rights, but the Tigers - five games back of the second wild-card spot, at 45-52 - seem increasingly inclined to move him. Though the Tigers didn't appear willing earlier this month to absorb any of the roughly $70 million left on Verlander's contract to move the 34-year-old, their position has now changed, according to a recent report from Morosi.

Verlander isn't the only big-name starter the Dodgers have been linked to, though. Even before Kershaw tweaked his back, the Dodgers were reportedly showing strong interest in Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish, an impending free agent with a 3.44 ERA (133 ERA+) in 2017. Darvish fanned a season-high 12 in an eight-inning, three-run effort against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

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