After being put on the 60-day injured list by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw is back on the brink as the 37-year-old makes his return to action for the club. This will mark his season debut as he has yet to touch the field since March, and his return could not have come at a better time when the Dodgers are plagued with injuries.

Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernández, and Tommy Edman are all out for the Dodgers so far. Sasaki was diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement, while Snell will be up for checking for his left shoulder inflammation. Nothing has been easy for the team so far, and Kershaw’s return this week is starting to be a promising note for the defending World Series winners.

Kershaw just finished his fifth and final rehab on Sunday, and he went on to pitch a total of four innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, in which he landed two hits and two runs allowed. He also finished with 57 pitches and had two walks and strikeouts apiece. He has not played a single game since the World Series campaign and had surgeries last November on a torn meniscus in his left knee and a ruptured plantar plate.

A Big Return for Kershaw

Kershaw is one of the biggest pieces for the Dodgers over the years and is also a fan favorite in the city. The return spells a positive look for the team at this point as the injuries have been really piling up for the team so far, and it cannot be denied that Kershaw could spark the team’s struggles now more than ever.

“It's great. It's a big shot in the arm,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Clayton has worked really hard to get healthy, and the bar is high for him. He doesn't want to just come back to be active. He wants to come back and help us win baseball games and be good. And so I know he's excited to contribute.”

In an injury-shortened season, Kershaw went 2-2 before he got injured in seven starts with a 4.50 ERA. It was his 17th season at that time, and fans are hoping to see him thrive in a rotation that features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Landon Knack. So far, the Dodgers still remain atop the National League West with a 27-14 record and are also sitting with the best record in the MLB so far.

The Kershaw Boost

In his run with three affiliates, Kershaw has logged a 2.57 ERA in five rehab starts. The Dodgers star has also pitched 21 innings, allowed 12 hits and six runs, walked five, and struck out 16. So far, getting him back is going to be a boost that the team can build off him and get back to bigger winning grooves.

“Just getting No. 22 back in the rotation is a huge shot in the arm of our ballclub,” Roberts said. “With Clayton just being back, I think it just adds an element of certainty and kind of performance.”

Roberts also said that he is not that concerned with the way Kershaw will struggle in his return. After all, it does seem that the pitcher has been quite effective in his rehab games, and it will likely translate to better numbers when he returns.