Clayton Kershaw injury: Dodgers ace won't need surgery on hip

The Dodgers got some good news on Thursday as Clayton Kershaw won't be having offseason surgery on his ailing hip.

Clayton Kershaw in line to start Friday

Dodgers lefty threw pain-free bullpen session; in line to start Friday against Colorado.

Dodgers Won't Allow Clayton Kershaw To Pitch If Hip Pain Continues

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw got a second opinion from a hip specialist on Tuesday and was told he could continue to pitch as long as he has no hip pain.

Kershaw has been stellar in the 2012 season after winning the NL Cy Young award last year. But the rest of his season was put in jeapordy after he started to experience hip pain earlier this month.

Dr. Bryan Kelly, one of the premier hip specialists in the country, examined Kershaw on Tuesday and agreed with the initial diagnoses of an impingement on the right hip. This injury causes the joint to pinch while the hip rotates during the pitching motion.

However, Don Mattingly said there is a chance that Kershaw would pitch again this season, and Kershaw will start a throwing program on Tuesday. Dr. Kelly has given the go ahead for Kershaw to continue pitching as long as he doesn't continue to have substantive hip pain.

Even with the Dodgers in the midst of a playoff run, they won't put the long-term health of their young ace in peril and said that Kershaw "would not be allowed to pitch if he continues to have hip pain." The team has also sent his MRI's to other hip specialists around the country to seek their opinions as well.

Kershaw sits at 12-9 after 30 starts with a 2.70 ERA. He is second in the league to R.A. Dickey in both innings pitched and ERA and leads the league with 206 strikeouts.

For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Clayton Kershaw Injury: Dodgers Lefty Could Pitch Again In 2012

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly believes that the club's ace Clayton Kershaw could pitch again in 2012, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

The left-hander met with hip specialist Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York on Tuesday, and while Mattingly remained optimistic, he did note that there is cause for concern over Kershaw's ailing right hip.

Mattingly concedes there's something "serious" in Kershaw's hip, just not any worse than it was before.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 18, 2012

These comments come after early reports that Kershaw might be out until early 2013. The loss of Kershaw (12-9, 2.70) would be a devastating blow to the Dodgers' N.L. Wild Card hopes, as they currently trail the St. Louis Cardinals by one game for the second spot and are already without starters Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly.

Stephen Fife will remain in Kershaw's spot in the Dodgers' rotation for the time being, per Hernandez.

For more on this story as it develops, keep an eye on this StoryStream. For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Clayton Kershaw Could Miss Start Of 2013 Season, Per Report

Clayton Kershaw missed his scheduled start on Sunday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as expected since Friday, but his right hip injury could be much worse than that. The ace starter could miss the start of the 2013 season if surgery is needed, as is the fear among Dodgers officials.

Kershaw will meet with Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York on Tuesday to determine the next course of action for his ailing right hip. If Dr. Kelly recommends surgery, Kershaw could miss the start of next season, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times:

If Kershaw must undergo surgery to repair his ailing right hip, he isn't expected to be pitching in the major leagues until the middle of May, according to people familiar with his condition who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Kershaw was also scratched from his start on Sept. 9 in San Francisco, after taking a cortisone shot in his hip two days earlier. But he was able to start two days later, allowing just one unearned run in seven innings in Arizona.

For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Clayton Kershaw Will Miss Sunday Start, See Hip Specialist In New York Tuesday

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Clayton Kershaw this Sunday, as the Dodgers ace will miss his scheduled start with hip pain. Kershaw had an earlier start pushed back due to the same issue. He will see a hip specialist in New York while the team travels to Washington for a series against the Nationals.

Stephen File will take his place on Sunday, according to David Vassegh of KLAC-570.

Kershaw missed his start at San Francisco last Sunday, but after a cortisone shot he was able to pitch two days later at the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made a strong showing there but took the loss despite only giving up one run over seven innings.

Kershaw has been key for the Dodgers this season, and he leads the league in strikeouts (206), WHIP (1.016), innings (206 2/3) and has the second lowest ERA (2.70).

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Dodgers vs. Cardinals series. For more insight and analysis, check out Dodgers blog True Blue LA.

Clayton Kershaw Questionable For Sunday Start With Hip Pain

Clayton Kershaw might miss his scheduled start on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals because of a balky hip, manager Don Mattingly said on Friday.

Kershaw's last start was delayed by two days because of inflammation in the hip. He was his usual ace self on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks, giving up one unearned run over seven innings in a 1-0 loss.

Following the start, his hip inflamed enough that the Dodgers cancelled Kershaw's Thursday bullpen session. He also missed most of practice on Friday because of the injury.

Kershaw is having yet another great year. He is 12-9 on the season with a 2.70 ERA and 206 strikeouts. Rookie Stephen Fife is the most likely starter if Kershaw is scratched on Sunday. Fife has made three starts for the Dodgers this season and is 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA.

For more on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. You can also check out everything we have to offer at Baseball Nation.

Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw Return To Starting Lineup For Dodgers Vs. Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers added the two best possible players they could have to their lineup on Tuesday night as they begin a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix. Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw return after brief setbacks.

Both Kemp and Kershaw received a cortisone shot and missed games in San Francisco over the weekend. Kemp missed two games with left shoulder inflammation, and an MRI showed a frayed labrum, which isn't the best news one likes to hear for the team's best hitter. Kershaw had left hip inflammation and was scratched from his Sunday start against the Giants.

Both are back for the series opener in Phoenix. Kemp bats cleanup for the Dodgers, with Kershaw on the mound against Ian Kennedy. Here are the starting lineups from Chase Field:

Dodgers (74-67)

Ellis 2B
Victorino LF
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp CF
Ramirez SS
Ethier RF
Cruz 3B
Ellis C
Kershaw P

Diamondbacks (69-72)

Eaton CF
Hill 2B
Kubel LF
Goldschmidt 1B
Upton RF
Montero C
Johnson 3B
McDonald SS
Kennedy P

For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Clayton Kershaw Scratched From Dodgers Vs. Giants Finale

Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his Sunday night start, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers without their ace as they get ready to take on the San Francisco Giants in the rubber match. Joe Blanton will start in his place.

Clayton Kershaw scratched. Joe Blanton starting for the #Dodgers today.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 9, 2012

The left-hander has a hip injury and was seen trying to run in the outfield this afternoon, but apparently he did not prove to himself and the trainers that he was healthy enough to pitch. The injury is not considered serious and the expectation is that he will pitch on Tuesday.

The Dodgers' ace is 12-8 on the year with a 2.79 ERA, which is the third-best in the National League. He has also already topped 200 strikeouts.

Kershaw has pitched excellently against the Giants this year, limiting them to a .216 batting average and just six runs in four starts. Run support has been a problem, though, and the southpaw is just 1-3 against San Francisco on the season.

Blanton has not been nearly as good against the Giants this season, allowing 11 runs in 18.2 innings. He is coming off of a solid start, limiting the Padres to three runs in 6.2 innings on Monday.

The Dodgers and Giants split the opening two games of this key series in the N.L. West. San Francisco holds a 4.5 game lead on LA heading into Sunday and they finish the season with three games against each other at Dodger Stadium.

Head over to True Blue LA for more updates on Kershaw and the Dodgers' playoff push.