Column: Clayton Kershaw doesn’t regret logging so many innings early in his career

When the previous crew official displays on his time with the Dodgers, he typically thinks of the burdens they positioned on Clayton Kershaw.

Greater than as soon as this winter, the baseball business veteran contemplated the postseason video games Kershaw began on three days’ relaxation. He recalled what was demanded of Kershaw within the early phases of a season that adopted a very exhausting playoff run.

“We actually ran him into the bottom,” the remorseful ex-employee mentioned.

Standing by his locker within the Dodgers’ spring coaching facility, Kershaw listened as these considerations have been relayed to him by a 3rd get together.

“I assume your query is,” Kershaw mentioned, “if I might have protected myself extra, do you suppose I might be much less damage and have extra time sooner or later?”

With none pause or hesitation, Kershaw continued, “Even when that was true, I wouldn’t change something.”

In fact he wouldn’t.

The thoughts=set may very well be answerable for quite a few visits to the injured checklist and thousands and thousands in misplaced wages, however it’s also a cause Kershaw is the franchise’s most admired participant of the final decade.

Kershaw, 34, reported to camp this month saying he was fully recovered from the elbow and forearm issues that restricted him to 22 begins and sidelined him for all the postseason final 12 months. His claims have handed the early eye exams.

However he’s landed on the injured checklist six occasions during the last 4 years and is now seven years faraway from his most up-to-date 200-inning season.

His medical historical past factored in to a big discount in pay. Kershaw, who earned $31 million final 12 months, returned to the Dodgers on a one-year, $17-million contract. Max Scherzer, who’s three years older however thought of to have a more healthy arm, signed a three-year, $130-million take care of the New York Mets.

The best rationalization for Kershaw’s current elbow, shoulder and again troubles is the one provided by the previous government: Kershaw pitched an excessive amount of when he was on the peak of his powers.

Nonetheless, Kershaw insisted, “I wouldn’t change it for the world. I did what I believe the crew wanted me to do.”

The primary time he pitched 200 innings in a season was in 2010, when he was solely 22.

Over the subsequent 5 years, he pitched greater than 227 innings 4 occasions. In 2016, the one common season over that stretch by which he failed to succeed in the 200-inning mark, he returned from an early-season again damage to pitch 198 1/3 innings. He was the Nationwide League’s most beneficial participant and Cy Younger Award winner that 12 months.

Kershaw made postseason begins on three days’ relaxation in every of the 4 years from 2013 to 2016. He pitched the ultimate inning of the 2015 NL Division Sequence towards the Washington Nationals and threw 4 innings of aid in Recreation 7 of the World Sequence towards the Houston Astros.

“I don’t have any regrets of what I did, whether or not or not it’s the quick relaxation or the bullpens or the various things like that,” Kershaw mentioned. “On the finish of the day, for the crew to rely on you and need you to go on the market and do it, that’s an enormous honor. They paid me some huge cash too.

“Wanting again on it, the one factor I’d say is I want I’d pitched higher.”

Kershaw endured crushing defeats to the St. Louis Cardinals in consecutive seasons. He was rocked by the Chicago Cubs in an elimination recreation in 2016. He failed to carry separate four- and three-run leads in Recreation 5 of the World Sequence towards the Astros, who have been later revealed to be utilizing video expertise to steal indicators.

Was he proud to have tried what he did?

“I don’t know if proud is the correct phrase,” Kershaw mentioned. “The participation trophy doesn’t do it for me. On the finish of the day, I might have been proud if we gained. If our crew thinks I’m the best choice to go win the sport, I’ll do it. I take satisfaction in that. I take satisfaction in your crew and your administration, everyone considering you’re the correct man for that.”

Kershaw isn’t fully satisfied his workload was answerable for his subsequent accidents.

“You simply don’t know with pitchers,” he mentioned. “You take a look at Adam Wainwright, we form of thought, he had Tommy John [surgery], he had the Achilles factor and final 12 months he threw probably the most innings in baseball, or near it. (Wainwright’s 206 1/3 innings have been third-most within the majors.)

“After which there are some guys which are so large and so robust and throw so onerous they usually haven’t pitched a full season shortly.”

Kershaw mentioned he was glad to have damaged in to the majors when he did, as frontline pitchers immediately are not often provided the extent of accountability the Dodgers used to offer to him. He additionally mentioned he understood why groups are doing what they’re doing.

He provided the hypothetical instance of a crew that began New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom and had Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen within the bullpen.

“Blake Treinen may be the most effective one-inning pitcher in baseball,” Kershaw mentioned. “If [deGrom is] within the eighth inning and he’s confronted these guys twice or 3 times, though it’s Jacob deGrom, Blake Treinen may be higher.”

Which isn’t to say Kershaw is resigned to a future by which the worth of beginning pitching stays diminished.

“The starter a part of me thinks that there’s nonetheless a necessity and a worth for it,” he mentioned. “All people’s speaking about what you are able to do to make the sport sooner. For me, it will be simply restrict what number of relievers you possibly can have. In case you restrict the variety of relievers you’ll be able to have, the starters are going to need to go deeper. On the finish of the day, I do suppose that starters make the sport, in some facets. Like, whenever you see Jacob deGrom versus Corbin Burnes, I wish to watch that on TV.”

Kershaw additionally remained upbeat about his personal future.

“I wouldn’t have come again if I didn’t suppose I used to be wholesome,” he mentioned. “I additionally didn’t wish to come again as a ‘We simply need you right here to tip your cap.’ I don’t need any a part of that. I’m going to contribute. Clearly, Walker [Buehler] and Julio [Urias] had higher years they usually’re going to be the fellows and that’s nice.”

The important thing for Kershaw will likely be to stay wholesome. His ERA was 3.25 by his first 17 begins final 12 months. When he wasn’t injured, he pitched effectively.

“I nonetheless plan on doing that,” he mentioned.

Simply as he did in his earlier 14 seasons, he’s ready for the Dodgers to name his title. And simply as he did in his earlier 14 seasons, his need to reply that decision is certain to overwhelm no matter intuition he has to play it protected.