Staff WriterFollow
ROUND ROCK, Texas —
When Clayton Kershaw bypassed retirement and re-signed with the Dodgers over the winter, his return from an offseason shoulder surgery was initially expected to be a mid-summer bonus.
After the Dodgers had restocked their rotation in the offseason, Kershaw almost felt like a superfluous piece to their pitching plans — a nice addition whenever he came back, but not one absolutely necessary to the team’s World Series aspirations.
By Friday night, however, circumstances had changed.
The Dodgers rotation began the second half of the season in a precarious state.