In 2016, the Dodgers were eight games out of first place when he got hurt, five games ahead when he came back. In 2017, they went 25-10 without him.
In 2018, they played .500 ball without him — not great, but better than before, and they jumped from eight games to 3 1/2 games out, entering play Saturday.
"We always have a lot of guys on the DL every year, it seems like. Part of the culture around here is just a next-man-up mentality."
In the three weeks since the Dodgers put him on the disabled list because of biceps tendinitis, Kershaw has focused on tuning up his mechanics.