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Kershaw to DL, will miss start against Giants

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UPDATE: Kershaw is expected to miss four to six weeks according to Fox Sports.

The Giants were supposed to face Clayton Kershaw and his MLB-best 2.04 ERA during their weekend series in Los Angeles, but will avoid the dominant left-hander who is headed to the 10-day disabled list with tightness in his right lower back. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kershaw felt something off while throwing warm-up pitches before the second inning of Sunday’s game against the Braves. The Dodgers’ ace pitched the inning, but then immediately left the game.

For a San Francisco team whose season is all but mathematically over, the development will have minimal effects, making one of their remaining 62 games slightly easier to win. Ty Blach, Saturday’s projected starter, will now likely face Hyun-Jin Ryu (4.21 ERA). The effect on their rivals, however, could be catastrophic.

Remember that a back issue, a herniated disk to be exact, that put Kershaw on the shelf for 10 weeks last season, giving less than a month to prepare for the postseason . Another extended injury for Kershaw could throw serious doubt into the prospects of a Dodgers’ team that has been playing the best baseball in the majors for over a month. At 68-31, Los Angeles not only has the best record in MLB, but also the best run differential at +174. This is the most dominant Dodgers team we’ve seen in a very long time, and finally a group that looks capable of going all the way after years of playoff disappointments.

Kershaw’s health now becomes a huge x-factor, as the importance of the game’s most dominant arm would be amplified in the postseason. If Kershaw’s injury is indeed more than just a tweak, expect LA to try and trade for a reinforcement like Texas ace Yu Darvish (3.44), who the Dodgers have shown interest in according to the LA Times. Even scoring someone like Darvish would be little more than a consolation if Kershaw can’t go, however, and could change the course of the National League come October.