Will Clayton Kershaw return to the Dodgers? Probably

Clayton Kershaw spent his final minutes in a Dodgers uniform in 2022 with a bottle of Pacifico in his hand Saturday night. While his teammates showered and changed, scrambling to leave Petco Park, he remained in his gray baseball pants and a Dodgers hoodie. He wore his cap backwards. He wasn’t in a rush to leave after the Dodgers’ season-ending loss to the San Diego Padres.

Whether he’ll ever wear the uniform again is one of the many story lines that will shape the Dodgers’ offseason. As of late Saturday, it appears as though Kershaw, a free agent this winter, will return.

“I think so,” Kershaw, 34, said when asked about if he will play next season. “We’ll see what happens. Going home and being around and being a full-time dad changes your perspective on things, but, as of right now, I will say I’ll play again.”

Kershaw was less certain about his future a year ago. Last October, he was dealing with a major elbow injury. He wasn’t sure how healthy he’d be to pitch in 2022. Then there was the prospect of signing with his hometown Texas Rangers — a very real possibility he considered.

Ultimately, Kershaw was told he’d be ready for the start of the season and chose to re-sign with the Dodgers. He officially signed a one-year contract worth $17 million plus incentives the day after the lockout ended in March.

He then proceeded to log seven perfect innings with 13 strikeouts in his season-opening start against the Minnesota Twins. He made his ninth All-Star Game, starting for the National League at Dodger Stadium, and was one of the best pitchers in the majors when healthy.

Two back injuries, however, landed him on the injured list twice for a month each, limiting him to 126 1/3 innings over 22 starts during the regular season. The second stint began in August, giving him enough to return at the beginning of September and prepare for the postseason.

He yielded three runs and six hits over five innings in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres, and was ready to pitch out of the bullpen in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. But that game isn’t happening. The Dodgers’ season is over, another October ending in bitter disappointment. But Kershaw’s career in Los Angeles doesn’t appear to be.