The Dodgers Are Dead In The Water Without Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw has been placed on the disabled list thanks to a herniated disc in his lower back and right about now Dodgers fans should start panicking.

Even after a terrible start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, Kershaw is having a historic season. He’s 11-2 with a National League-best 1.79 ERA. He’s also leading the NL with 121 innings, 145 strikeouts, 0.7 walks per nine innings and a 0.727 WHIP. His 16.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio would be the best mark in major league history.

The problem Kershaw and the Dodgers is that back injuries tend to either linger or return. Los Angeles is 14-2 when Kershaw starts games and 29-35 when anyone else is on the hill. The Dodgers currently sit 5.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. While they currently own occupy the top spot in the Wild Card chase by 1.5 games, that lead feels fragile with Kershaw on the shelf.

The team added Bud Norris via trade on Thursday, but the 31-year-old isn’t going to excite anyone. In 22 games this season (10 starts), Norris has a 3-7 record with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. In June, Norris is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA.

The Dodgers don’t have much hope at sustained success as long as Kershaw is on the sidelines. Their team batting average (.235) ranks 29th in baseball, their team OPS (.690) is 28th and they rank 19th in runs. The offense isn’t going carry them while Kershaw is out.

Los Angeles either needs its ace back quickly or must make a major deal for a top-of-the-rotation starter while he gets healthy.