Clayton Kershaw activated for season debut: Dodgers vet returns from offseason shoulder surgery to face Giants

Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw will make his 2024 debut Thursday. The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Kershaw off the 60-day injured list prior to his start against the rival San Francisco Giants ( GameTracker ), the team announced Thursday afternoon. Righty Yohan Ramírez was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

"I'm excited to get back," Kershaw said Wednesday ( via the Associated Press ). "It's been a long time. Longest time I've ever spent not pitching in a big-league game. Obviously, once you get back out there you've just got to perform."

Kershaw, 36, had major shoulder surgery in November -- specifically, his glenohumeral ligaments and capsule were repaired -- and he has spent the last several months rehabbing. He allowed four runs in 10 innings in three minor-league rehab starts. In his most recent appearance, Kershaw threw four innings and 67 pitches. He'll be on a pitch limit Thursday.

"I think watching as far as stressful innings. If a pitch count kicks up in an inning or back-to-back high pitch counts. Not even overall total pitches," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Kershaw's pitch limit ( via the Associated Press ). "The most important part is getting him built up and ready for October. It has been a long process for him, and we've got coverage, so whatever happens, we'll be prepared for that."

Kershaw's return comes at the good time for the Dodgers, who still have five starters on the major-league injured list -- Walker Buehler , Tony Gonsolin , Dustin May , Emmet Sheehan , Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- and lost touted prospect Kyle Hurt to Tommy John surgery earlier this week. Buehler and Yamamoto are expected back in the coming weeks. The others are done for 2024.

As it stands, the Dodgers have Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow , and rookies River Ryan , Gavin Stone , and Justin Wrobleski in their rotation. Stone has been in the rotation all season and, frankly, has been their most consistent starter. Ryan and Wrobleski were more recent call ups. Bobby Miller , who struggled in the majors earlier this year, and Landon Knack are the depth options in Triple-A.

For Kershaw personally, he enters the season only 56 strikeouts short of 3,000 for his career. He will be the 20th member of the 3,000-strikeout club when he gets there. Only Randy Johnson (4,875), Steve Carlton (4,136), and CC Sabathia (3,093) have more strikeouts among left-handed pitchers.

The Dodgers enter Thursday's game with a 61-42 record and a 7 1/2-game lead in the NL West. Last season, Kershaw threw 131 2/3 innings with a 2.46 ERA in the regular season. He got pounded for six runs while recording just one out in the NLDS start.