There are Los Angeles Dodgers fans on social media calling for Clayton Kershaw’s retirement.
But the all-time great southpaw isn’t thinking at all about a big picture dilemma like that.
After a bumpy return from the Injured List over the past few weeks, Kershaw is simply focused on the task at hand.
You don’t become a legend by worrying about things too far down the road.
Kershaw knows that his improvement will depend mostly on him and his mentality.
“I’ll go in a stretch of 10 or 11 good pitches in a row and then make enough bad ones to get some damage done against me,” Kershaw recently told reporters. “I just need to put it together for a whole game, figure out how to do that, which I think I can do and will do. It just better be soon.”
That last line, “It just better be soon,” is ironically powerful.
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Kershaw sounds like someone who might do something drastic if the opportunity presents itself.
Maybe it’s not actually a meaningful line, but it feels like Kershaw knows that his time is running out. The Dodgers probably wouldn’t get rid of him or anything, but Kershaw certainly probably feels like he wants to be worthy of his opportunity.
Kershaw has thrown 15.2 innings so far this season with a 5.17 ERA. That’d be the highest of his career.
Last season, Kershaw had a 4.50 ERA in seven starts.
Kershaw has been beaten by walks so far, with nine of them compared to just eight strikeouts.
The Dodgers will just have to hope their legendary lefty can still turn it around.
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