Clayton Kershaw’s 2024 Season is Over, Is His Career With Dodgers Done Too?

Clayton Kershaw pitched his last game of 2024 on Aug. 30, where he made his departure after one-plus inning due to a recurring toe injury. It could also have been his final time on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His future with the Dodgers remains uncertain but Kershaw can exercise his player option for the 2025 season. Whether he chooses to do so remains a mystery.

Ahead of Game 1 of the NLDS, the Dodgers announced Kershaw would not return for the postseason.

“We’re closing the door,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Clayton has done everything he can to keep this thing moving forward and giving himself a chance to participate in the postseason. But where he’s at right now physically, the foot, the toe, is not cooperating. It’s actually getting worse. This is it for Clayton for 2024.”

A Dodgers postseason without the veteran left-hander is certainly a somber thought. Since 2008, Kershaw has consistently made postseason appearances for the Dodgers with the exception of 2021.

In the playoffs, Kershaw has a 13-13 record with a 4.49 ERA. He’s punched 213 strikeouts and earned one save in 39 appearances in his postseason career.

The last time Kershaw pitched in the postseason was in 2023. The Dodgers faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. The veteran southpaw allowed six runs in the first running.

Although Kershaw’s postseason appearances have been a rollercoaster ride for Dodgers fans, there is no denying he has already cemented his place in franchise history.

The future Hall of Famer is regarded as the modern-era Sandy Koufax . Kershaw is a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, a ten-time All-Star, and a World Series champion.

Dodgers fans don’t know what the future holds for Kershaw, but if he were to hang up his jersey, he would always be regarded as one of the greats in Los Angeles.

If the Aug. 30 game at Chase Field was Kershaw’s last game in a Dodgers uniform, he can look back at his career in Los Angeles with pride. Fans have always envisioned Kershaw retiring as a Dodger, and the prospect could be sooner rather than later.

There is a possibility that Kershaw will return for another season, but either way, his legacy lies in Los Angeles after 17 seasons.

Photo Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

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