Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers remains determined and hopeful to pitch in playoffs | Sports

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw continues to be not ruling out the chance of pitching in the playoffs, although lingering ache in his left massive toe has positioned him in what Los Angeles Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts not too long ago described as a “holding pattern.”

“I'm not giving up,” Kershaw mentioned Thursday. “I'm going to keep trying every day. Maybe it'll feel better one day. I'm just waiting for that day to happen.”

Kershaw, out since Aug. 30 with what the Dodgers have described as a bone spur in his toe, not too long ago stopped throwing off a mound as a result of the ache from pushing off the rubber has compelled him to compensate, main to different points.

“There's only a percentage I can throw without other stuff starting to bother me because I'm throwing differently,” Kershaw mentioned. “Whenever my toe feels better, I'm confident that I'll be good.”

When that day happens, although, remains to be seen.

The Dodgers can clinch the National League West with a win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday, which implies their first playoff recreation would not happen till Oct. 5.

Kershaw, nonetheless, would not be an possibility for no less than “a couple weeks,” Roberts mentioned.

“And then we'll see what that looks like as far as our playoff push,” Roberts mentioned. “You still got to build up, you still got to throw a ‘pen, you still got to face hitters. Right now, he's just playing light catch, so, I don't know. I don't know.”

In all probability, the Dodgers will go into the NL Division Series with a four-man rotation consisting of Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler and 27-year-old rookie Landon Knack, although Tony Gonsolin, who has made three rehab begins in his return from Tommy John surgical procedure, could be an possibility.

The Dodgers' expectation of relying closely on their bullpen in October took a success Thursday, when Brusdar Graterol returned to the injured checklist with irritation in the identical proper shoulder that precipitated him to miss the season's first 4 months.

“What that looks like for the rest of the season, I just don't know,” Roberts mentioned of Graterol's standing. “I think it's going to be a week-to-week situation.”

The Dodgers activated backup catcher Austin Barnes on Thursday, 11 days after he fractured his left massive toe on a foul tip, however had been with out veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas, who exited Wednesday's recreation early with a groin damage. Rojas, who has been coping with decrease physique points for many of the yr, obtained a pain-relieving injection and hopes to play in Sunday's regular-season finale.

The query is whether or not he can handle the ache via October.

“That's the reason I've been getting off-days here and there,” Rojas mentioned Wednesday evening. “We figured out that with the playoff schedule, you're never going to play more than three in a row. Hopefully my ability to stay on top of it, plus the little injection with the medicine, helps. I'm going to give my all.”

Kershaw, too, has been doing all the pieces he can, going as far as throwing an 80-plus-pitch bullpen session whereas the Dodgers had been in Miami final week. The 36-year-old left-hander mentioned he obtained off the mound one or two different instances after the crew returned residence final Friday, however he's at the moment restricted to enjoying catch.

“I feel like it's progressing,” Kershaw mentioned of his toe. “It's just been obviously not as fast as I had hoped.”

Kershaw has tried an assortment of strategies to hold his arm lively whereas ready for his toe to heal, from prolonged classes off flat floor to throwing off a conveyable ramp to testing completely different angles off a pitching rubber. The latter step, nonetheless, continues to give him bother. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who operated on Kershaw's shoulder final offseason, assured him not too long ago that the toe wouldn't finally require surgical procedure. It simply wants time.

Kershaw does not have a lot of it left.

“My arm I'm keeping going as best as I can,” Kershaw mentioned. “I really think when my toe's better, I think I'll be ready to pitch. Just need to get to at least close to 100% so I can throw normal.”