Dodgers expect Clayton Kershaw to make one more rehab start as Los Angeles looks to bolster rotation

The Los Angeles Dodgers have received very little good news regarding their pitching staff in recent weeks. But their three-time National League Cy Young Award winner could rejoin the starting rotation soon.

Clayton Kershaw pitched three scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night. He allowed no hits and issued one walk while throwing 38 pitches (23 for strikes).

"I thought it actually went pretty well tonight. I thought it went better than the last one, so that was encouraging for sure," Kershaw told The Oklahoman's Gracie Rawlings. “I got through three innings which was kind of the goal for tonight. I definitely have one more and will go from there. But overall, I would say it’s pretty positive tonight."

As Kershaw said, the expectation is for him to throw one more rehab start. If everything goes well and he feels good after that, he should rejoin the Dodgers rotation from there.

The Dodgers could certainly use Kershaw in a rotation that's been thinned out by injuries. The team announced on Saturday that Dustin May will not come back this season after suffering a torn esophagus. May was expected to begin a rehab assignment soon after recovering from elbow surgery he underwent last spring.

Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list last week with back tightness. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler are also on the IL, in addition to Brusdar Graterol, Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier, Michael Grove and Connor Brogdon. Tony Gonsolin is recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery performed last August, and Emmet Sheehan underwent Tommy John surgery in May.

"I heard Clayton was good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters before Sunday's matchup with the Detroit Tigers. "I texted with him last night and he felt really excited about it. It was three innings and then he threw 12 [pitches] in the 'pen, so a fourth up."

"So he'll pitch next Friday for that OKC team and obviously, the plan is to get through four innings and maybe do a fifth up in the 'pen," he added. "Really encouraging. The stuff was good. He said he felt great coming out of it. So that was a silver lining for yesterday for me."

On Saturday, the Dodgers claimed Brent Honeywell Jr. off waivers and started him in Sunday's game versus the Tigers. A former top prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays, Honeywell pitched 39 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A club, compiling a 4.85 ERA with 33 strikeouts, before making two appearances for the major league team during the past week.

Honeywell pitched three scoreless innings in Sunday's start, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. To make room for him, the Dodgers moved Yamamoto from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.

The team also announced that River Ryan will be promoted from Oklahoma City after the All-Star break. Ryan, 25, started the season in Rookie League, then went from Single-A to Triple-A. MLB.com ranked him as the Dodgers' No. 4 prospect.

In five starts with OKC, the right-hander has 19 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA. Ryan was acquired in 2022 for Matt Beaty from the San Diego Padres, who drafted him in the 11th round in 2021 out of UNC Pembroke.