Longtime face of the franchise reunited with the Dodgers earlier this week on a , ending the uncertainty that lingered surrounding the southpaws future throughout the offseason. Kershaw recently spoke to reporters, including , regarding the difficult decisions he had to make this offseason Heath Bell Jersey regarding surgery and his future as a player. As relayed by Toribio, Kershaw noted that thoughts of retirement weighed heavily on him for the first time in his career, and that he took his time deciding whether or not to undergo , which he indicated was nece sary to continue his career but wouldnt have been required from him to partake in day-to-day activities such as catch with his children. Toribio added that Kershaws difficult start against the Diamondbacks during Game 1 of the NLDS, where he surrendered six runs while recording just one out, played a role in the southpaws decision to return to the Dodgers for a 17th season in the majors. Toribio indicates that potentially parting ways with the only club hes pitched for as a profe sional and pitching for his hometown Rangers held some appeal for Kershaw, but that ultimately the Dodgers flurry of activity this offseason played a role in convincing the veteran lefty to remain in L.A. for the 2024 campaign. This offseason has been pretty amazing to watch, honestly. Theres definitely a part of me that wanted to be a part of that, Kershaw told reporters, as relayed by Toribio. Kershaw isnt expected to return to a big league mound until the late summer, with Toribio noting that sometime in July is the earliest he could pitch for L.A. in 2024. The left-hander is currently slated to ramp his throwing progre sion up sometime next month and will join the team on homestands during his rehab. The clubs offseason overhaul of their pitching staff leaves them with plenty of options to hold down the fort in the starting rotation during Kershaws absence. Though right-hander is expected to start the season on the injured list, offseason additions , , and are currently slated to pitch in the rotation alongside sophomore righty and an addition young arm such as or come the start of the regular season. More from around the NL West The Padres brought in left-hander on a earlier this week, but reports that this is hardly the first time the club has pursued the veteran southpaw. According to Lin, San Diegos interest in Peralta dates back to the 2023 trade deadline. At the time, the lefty was subject to some trade speculation as the Yankees toyed with due to them sitting at fifth place in the AL East at the time of the trade deadline despite a decent 55-51 record. Ultimately, of course, no deal came together for the lefty, who went on to struggle to a 4.30 ERA and 6.46 FIP down the stretch last year. Looking ahead to 2024, Peralta figures to be part of San Diegos late inning mix alongside the likes of and as the bullpen looks to bounce back from the lo s of earlier this winter. The Giants hired recently-retired Astros manager Dusty Baker in a role last month, and the longtime skipper spoke to reporters (including ) in Houston recently about his move to San Francisco. Baker indicated that while Houston remains a second home to him, a key factor in his decision to join the Giants is the clubs proximity to Sacramento, his hometown. Getting older, you start thinking about enjoying your life, enjoying your grandchildren, Baker said, as relayed by McTaggart. But I still have something, you know, to give to the game and make a living in a part-time capacity. Bakers hiring in San Francisco is a homecoming in more ways than one, as he served as manager of the Giants for ten seasons, from 1993 to 2002. He won three NL Manager of the Year awards throughout his tenure with the Giants and led the team to a World Series appearance in his final year with the club. Logan Gillaspie Jersey
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