Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw return to the Dodgers this week

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting rotation gets a big boost this week with the return of Tyler Glasnow from the injured list and the season debut of Clayton Kershaw, who was sidelined due to midseason shoulder surgery.

Glasnow had been on the injured list since July 9 with lower back stiffness and is scheduled to start Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, will start the next day against the Giants.

Their comebacks provide options for Roberts, whose pitching staff has been decimated. The Dodgers currently have 11 pitchers on the injured list, including Glasnow and Kershaw.

Glasnow, acquired in an offseason trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, is 8-5 with a 3.47 ERA. How much Roberts can use him over the next two months remains to be seen.

Glasnow, a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher, has thrown 109 innings this season, only the second triple-digit number in his 10-year career. He reached a career high of 120 last season.

Kershaw, 36, pitched in a rehab start Friday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City. In four innings, he surrendered six hits and three runs while striking out two. His fastball was traveling at nearly 92 mph.

The Dodgers knew Kershaw wouldn’t return until after the All-Star break, and they thought he would be the cherry on top of an all-star staff. Instead, he could be a lifesaver for a rotation that currently features four rookies.

“If you look at what we’ve been through the last couple months, it’s certainly a necessity versus a luxury, I think that’s what we thought when we were putting the roster together,” Roberts said of Kershaw’s return, according to The Athletic. “Now it’s certainly a necessity.”

Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times that he is ready to return and contribute in whatever way he can.

“I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just where the team is at,” Kershaw said. “Because obviously I’m not built for 100 pitches. So I’d love to come back whenever they need me, obviously. But I don’t want to put the team in a bad position, especially with the way we’ve performed the last couple of weeks.”

A return against the Giants could provide some solace for Kershaw, who is 26-16 with a 2.01 ERA in 59 games (57 starts) against San Francisco.

Kershaw has spent all 16 seasons of his MLB career with the Dodgers. He is 210-92 with a 2.48 ERA, striking out 2,994 batters in 2,712 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media