“I felt wanted, even though I’m kind of damaged goods” - Clayton Kershaw reflects about re-signing with the Dodgers

After a long wait, Los Angeles Dodgers and their long time franchise ace Clayton Kershaw agreed to fresh terms on Friday. Kershaw’s contract guarantees him $10 million and can earn potentially up to $12.5 million for this year, with an increase to $25 million in 2025.

Due to his left shoulder surgery, the left handed pitcher didn’t receive much interest from other teams during free agency. The 10-time All Star was quite appreciative of the Dodgers as they gave him enough time to make his decision to sign, as per SportsNet LA.

“It was a good offseason to kind of be home and talk with Ellen and try to figure everything out. Once we decided to get the surgery and want to play again that was kind of a process in and of itself and just kind of did that with Ellen,” said Kershaw.

“I can’t say enough good things about Andrew and the way he handled everything and even ownership, Mark and Todd all the way down. They just really give me the time to figure things out.”

The 35-year-old had a left shoulder injury for about half of the 2023 season but still had a good performance record with 13 wins and five losses with a 2.46 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 24 starts.

“Once I decided to come back, it was just everybody has been great. So I felt wanted, even though I am kind of damaged goods right now. It was a good feeling.”

It is Clayton Kershaw’s 17th season in the Major League and he will hope to return to play at some point during July or August.

Dodgers Shohei Ohtani impresses in first batting practice with team

The Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani took part in batting practice at Camelback Ranch on Monday. This marked his first time after undergoing right elbow surgery which cut short his 2023 season.

During batting practice, Ohtani practiced hitting pitches thrown by J.T. Watkins to simulate real time at-bats. The two time American League Most Valuable Player completed two rounds of batting practice, with a total of 21 swings, 10 of which resulted in home runs.