Even though it hasn’t been officially announced, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Clayton Kershaw will not be the Opening Day starter for the Dodgers for his ninth year in a row.
Kershaw has been the ace of the staff for almost a decade, but unfortunately has been sidelined in recent years by back issues. Currently, he’s dealing with a shoulder issue, possibly from pushing himself too hard to try regain his vanishing velocity. He has seen improvements in his throwing sessions lately and seems to be trending in the right direction. Regardless, he has yet to throw a bullpen since he was paused in his spring training regimens, and thus will not be ready for Opening Day.