Clayton Kershaw could require surgery, not guaranteed to pitch again in '16
One day after shutting down Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw due to a setback in his rehab from a back injury, manager Dave Roberts uttered a word no one likes to hear.
Surgery.
Roberts indicated that Kershaw's setback might be more serious than initially expected, even admitting that more drastic measures may be required.
"With the way it flared up, it's more of an indication that surgery is more of a possibility," Roberts said via MLB.com.
Kershaw, who has not pitched since June 26, started a rehab stint over the weekend, but experienced throwing pain during the outing. The three-time NL Cy Young winner did not recover well from the session and was shut down from all baseball activity until his back pain goes away.
Roberts told MLB.com the team is "hopeful" that the six-time All-Star will return some time this season. But he wasn't making any guarantees.
"He's disappointed because he knows he can help us," Roberts said. "But his focus is on getting back this year."
