Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is going to miss a few turns through the rotation after getting off to a hot start in the 2022 season.
Los Angeles announced that it had placed Kershaw on the injured list for inflammation in his sacroiliac joint (SI joint). According to SI-Bone, the SI joint is located between the spine and the pelvis and transfers weight from the upper body to the legs.
The Dodgers promoted Garrett Cleavinger from Triple-A to replace Kershaw on the active roster. Walker Buehler will take Kershaw's scheduled start against the Phillies on Friday.
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There was uncertainty about what the Dodgers could expect from Kershaw coming into the 2022 season after he left the 2021 postseason due to discomfort in his left forearm and dealt with an elbow injury during the regular season. When Kershaw hit free agency in the offseason, he signed a one-year, $17 million deal to return to Los Angeles.
Kershaw has rewarded the Dodgers for the faith in his ability to pitch well in his age-34 campaign with one of the best starts of his career. Through his first five starts, he has a 1.80 ERA with 32 strikeouts, three walks and only 19 hits given up in 30 innings of work.
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According to Stathead, that is tied for his second-lowest ERA through his first five starts in a season with the 2020 season, and it trails only his 2012 season, when he began the year with a 1.78 ERA.
Kershaw opened the year with seven perfect innings against the Twins, but manager Dave Roberts pulled him for a reliever to start the eighth inning. Though the move proved controversial as the perfect game bid was lost in the eighth, Kershaw defended Roberts' decision, saying it was the right thing to do.
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Cleavinger, 28, has pitched a combined 4.2 innings of relief between Oklahoma City and Los Angeles this season. In those five appearances, he has a 5.78 ERA, seven strikeouts and five walks. He has appeared in 25 total games in his MLB career and has a 3.54 ERA in 20.1 innings of work.
