Clayton Kershaw DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe) said he expects to open the 2025 regular season on the 60-day injured list, but his timetable will likely line up for him to be ready to roll once the 60 days are up. Kershaw recently re-signed with the Blue on a one-year, $7.5 million deal that will likely be his final season before retirement. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer had surgeries on both his knee and toe in the offseason and remains in recovery with spring training kicking off this week. He's been throwing on flat ground, but it remains to be seen when he'll throw off a mound, and the Dodgers have no reason to rush him along. The three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP had a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 24 K's and nine walks in his seven starts in 2024 and is no longer a must-roster player in fantasy leagues due to the injuries that have mounted in recent years.

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to an undisclosed new contract, a source told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez on Tuesday. Financial terms of the deal are still pending, and Kershaw still needs to take a physical. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer declined his option for the 2025 season, but the expectation all along was that he'd return to L.A. for one more season, and now it's official. The 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP only made seven starts for the Blue in 2024, though, due to knee and toe injuries that both required surgery. Because injuries have piled up for him near the end of his illustrious career, he's a total dart throw in fantasy, and he most likely won't be ready to go for Opening Day in late March. Kershaw didn't make his 2024 debut until late July after undergoing offseason surgery.

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, free-agent starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) has begun a throwing progression and remains in contact with the Los Angeles Dodgers to "finalize a reunion." Kershaw was only able to log 30 innings last season due to shoulder and toe injuries. Across this small stint, the southpaw posted a 4.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He struck out 24 batters and held a strong 6.8 percent walk rate. He limited hard contact with an excellent 4.1 percent barrel rate. Throughout the offseason, sources have reported that if Kershaw were to return to the mound in 2025 to continue his Hall of Fame career, he would only pitch in Los Angeles. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the three-time Cy Young award winner's status but should expect him to sign a contract with the Dodgers when cleared to return. He would likely only have value in deeper fantasy formats, as his strikeout upside dropped significantly over the past three seasons.