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.
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