Clayton Kershaw completed two innings after a visit from trainers, but then left the game against Atlanta.
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was removed from his start after just two innings Sunday with what the team called “low right back tightness, ” perhaps a recurrence of the malady that cost him much of the 2016 season.
Kershaw was visited by a trainer and manager Dave Roberts during the top of the second inning against the Atlanta Braves. He completed the inning, then exited the dugout to the Dodger Stadium clubhouse.
Trayce Thompson pinch-hit for Kershaw in the bottom of the second.
Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, spent more than two months on the disabled list in 2016 with a herniated disc. He entered Sunday leading the National League in wins (15) , ERA (2.07) , innings pitched (139 1/3) and ERA-plus (202) .
In 2016, Kershaw managed to avoid back surgery, using epidural injections and rehab to treat his herniated disc. He was injured on June 26 and set to return less than a month later, but suffered a setback.
Kershaw eventually returned on Sept. 9, just enough of a window to rebuild arm strength and pitch for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
The Dodgers likely won’t need much more from him to put the NL West on ice. They entered Sunday a major league-best 67-31, thanks to a recent 31-4 stretch, and held a 10 1/2-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
Already, they were interested in enhancing the starting rotation for the playoffs. Kershaw’s injury could potentially stoke that motivation.
