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Clayton Kershaw. | Photo courtesy of Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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Clayton Kershaw has signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers for a 17th season, the team announced Friday — though the 35-year-old left-hander is unlikely to appear in a game until July or August as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner, who turns 36 on March 19, had reportedly agreed to terms earlier in the week, but the Dodgers made the deal official in a Friday statement.
The team said the contract includes a player option for the 2025 season. Other terms were not announced, but The Athletic reported it includes $10 million guaranteed, with $5 million dollars each in 2024 and 2025, and the chance to earn even more based on the number of starts Kershaw makes.
Kershaw was at the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday, and was reported to have undergone his physical. Pitchers and catchers began workouts on Friday, but media reports indicated that Kershaw returned home to Texas on Thursday after addressing reporters.
While in Texas, Kershaw will continue a throwing regimen as he recovers from Nov. 2 surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule of his left shoulder — a condition he pitched through the last couple of months of the 2023 season.
Kershaw told reporters Thursday he was targeting a “July-ish, August- ish” return to major-league action. He’s expected to begin the season on the 60-day injured list.
In 24 regular-season games last season, Kershaw went 13-5 with a 2.26 earned-run average and 137 strikeouts in 131 2/3 innings. He started the Dodgers’ Oct. 7 National League Division Series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but lasted just one-third of an inning, giving up six runs and taking the loss in an 11-2 defeat. The Dodgers were swept in three games.
Kershaw’s 17 seasons in Dodger blue are third-most in franchise history, behind Zack Wheat (1909-1926) and Bill Russell (1969-1986), who each played for the team for 18 years.
Kershaw is only the second Dodger since the team’s move to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958 to play at least 17 seasons, joining Russell, and just the 77th player in MLB history with 17-plus seasons with the same club. He’s the only active player with that much service with the same team.
A 10-time All-Star, including last year, Kershaw owns a 210-92 career record with a 2.48 ERA.
