Clayton

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell reminding you we are only 22 days away from the season opener.

Clayton Kershaw appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday and had this to say about Shohei Ohtani:

“With Shohei, he’s got to pitch and he’s got to hit, and he’s a monster in the weight room, and he’s so fast, all these things,” Kershaw said. “So it’s amazing what Shohei does. And as far as secrets, I don’t know how he does it. I have no idea. I’ve watched him for a few years, still have no idea how he does it.

“I think with the media circus that follows him everywhere and all the Japanese reporters that are in L.A., as a team, we don’t see that. He does such a good job of handling all that and still being a good teammate and still playing really well. So, like I said, it all bakes into the formula … I don’t know how he does everything that he does, because he literally does have a country watching him every second of the day.

“We played opening day in Tokyo last year and that was wild. I think it was probably like what the Beatles were. It’s kind of like that’s what I would experience, just being around Shohei and being on the Dodgers. That was once in a lifetime to see him in Tokyo last year.”

“And he’s funny. He speaks a lot of English, which I don’t know if he lets on to the media too much. But Shohei’s great, and he’s been a great addition to the clubhouse.”

Do Spring Training games matter?

The Dodgers are 8-3 in exhibition games. But does it mean anything? Let’s take a look at the team with the best spring training record since 2016 and also how the Dodgers did each year:

2016
Best spring record: Washington, 19-4, .826
Season record: 95-67, .586

Dodgers: 13-17, .433
Season record: 91-71, .562

World Series winners: Chicago Cubs
Their spring record: 11-19

2017
Best spring record: NY Yankees, 24-9, .727
Season record: 91-71, .562

Dodgers: 18-17, .514
Season record: 104-58, .642

World Series winners: Houston Astros*
Their spring record: 15-15

*-Astros cheated to win the 2017 World Series.

2018
Best spring record: Boston, 22-9, .710
Season record: 108-54, .667

Dodgers: 17-15, .531
Season record: 92-71, .564

World Series winners: Boston Red Sox

2019
Best spring record: Oakland, 14-8, .636
Season record: 97-65, .599

Dodgers: 14-15, .483
Season record: 106-56, .654

World Series winners: Washington Nationals
Their spring record: 17-12

2020
Best spring record: Philadelphia, 15-6, .714
Season record: 28-32, .467

Dodgers: 13-7, .650
Season record: 43-17, .717

World Series winners: Dodgers

2021
Best record: Miami, 14-5, .737
Season record: 67-95, .414

Dodgers: 13-11, .542
Season record: 106-56, .654

World Series winners: Atlanta Braves
Their spring record: 15-13

2022
Best spring record: Angels, 11-6, .647
Season record: 73-89, .451

Dodgers: 5-9, .357
Season record: 111-51, .685

World Series winners: Houston Astros
Their spring record: 8-5

2023
Best spring record: St. Louis, 17-7, .708
Season record: 71-91, .438

Dodgers: 14-13, .519
Season record: 100-62, .617

World Series winners: Texas Rangers
Their spring record: 13-15

2024
Best spring record: Baltimore, 23-6, .793
Season record: 91-71, .562

Dodgers: 14-7, .667
Season record: 98-64, .605

World Series winners: Dodgers

2025
Best spring record: San Francisco, 21-6, .778
Season record: 81-81, .500

Dodgers: 14-9, .609
Season record: 93-69, .574

World Series winners: Dodgers

As you can see, only once has the team with the best spring record gone on to win the World Series. Four times, the team with the best spring record had a losing record in the regular season. The last time the Dodgers had a losing spring record, they went on to win 111 games. So, just enjoy the exhibition games for what they are, meaningless fun.

Or, as Andrew Friedman told my colleague Bill Shaikin about spring training games, “It’s always fun to win. That is always way more fun than losing. But so much of spring training is, just don’t get a call from our trainer. Keep guys healthy.”

Blake Snell unlikely to be on opening day roster

Dave Roberts said that Blake Snell won’t appear in a spring training game this season, which would seem to indicate he won’t be on the opening day roster.

“He’s not on a mound right now. He’s not in games,” Roberts told reporters. “The odds of him starting the season are probably zero…. I think he’s working through it in the sense of, last year he was on a new team. He pushed through things to start the season healthy, which is understandable. And you learn from it, he was never right all year. I think that this year, he’s going to make sure that he is ready to go.”

Gavin Stone sidelined

Gavin Stone, who sat out last season after shoulder surgery, has had a setback.

“Stone threw the inning and then he had a bullpen the next day, and then his shoulder flared up and was sore,” Roberts told reporters Monday. “And so right now, we put him on ice, and trying to let the soreness dissipate. So, given everything that he’s gone through with the shoulder, we wanted to make sure that we kind of pushed pause, so I don’t know when he’s going to start throwing again, but I think it is a setback unfortunately.”

Stone had an MRI on Tuesday that showed no structural damage, just inflammation, which is the best possible news. He will stop all throwing activities for two weeks and be re-evaluated.

WBC schedule

The World Baseball Classic starts today, and five Dodgers are participating: Will Smith for the U.S., Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Japan, Edwin Díaz for Puerto Rico and Hyeseong Kim for Korea. Former Dodger (how weird does that sound) Clayton Kershaw is also on the U.S. team. Three Dodger minor leaguers are participating: pitcher Antonio Knowles for Great Britain, infielder Jake Gelof for Israel, and pitcher Shawndrick Oduber for Netherlands.

Here is the schedule for the U.S. games. You can find the entire schedule by clicking here.

Friday
5 p.m.: USA vs. Brazil, Fox

Saturday
5 p.m.: Great Britain vs. USA, Fox

Monday
5 p.m.: Mexico vs. USA, Fox

Tuesday
6 p.m.: Italy vs. USA, FS1

Quarterfinals are March 13-14
Semifinals are March 15-16
Title game is March 17 at 5 p.m. on Fox

In case you missed it

Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki struggles early in second Cactus League start, then settles down

Shaikin: Will Klein isn’t surprised he saved the Dodgers’ World Series dynasty

Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw’s ‘perfect’ ending has one final chapter in WBC

‘That’s what I expect.’ Dodgers’ Mookie Betts seeks to regain his All-Star form

For pitching prospect Jackson Ferris, Dodgers organization is ‘a breath of fresh air’

Shaikin: In L.A. and in Cooperstown, Freddie Freeman will forever be a Dodger, not a Brave

Edwin Díaz is unquestionably the Dodgers’ closer. How the rest of the bullpen shapes up

‘Maybe you’re in the wrong business.’ Blake Treinen fires back at Dodgers’ spending critics

Shaikin: Dodgers hype time: How many games will they win in 2026?

‘Just go out and pitch.’ Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow is efficient in his first spring start

‘Things I need to work on.’ Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki struggles in first Cactus League start

After ‘a normal offseason,’ Freddie Freeman drives in two in Cactus League debut

SoCal product Pete Crow-Armstrong disses Dodgers fans with a curious comment

‘Pretty healthy’ Kyle Tucker content to fit in among Dodgers’ galaxy of stars

And finally

Maury Wills hits a walk-off single to win the 1966 All-Star game for the NL. Watch and listen here.

Until next time….

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — How do you improve on the perfect ending?

Clayton Kershaw stood in the desert heat Monday, wearing a far darker shade of blue than the Dodgers do. He does not need a medal, or a chance to fail. His election to the Hall of Fame will be a formality.

In his farewell year, the Dodgers won the World Series, becoming baseball’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years. He secured a critical out. He bathed in adoration at the championship rally, and he told the fans he would be one of them this year.

“I’m going to watch,” he hollered that day, “just like all of you.”

Four months later, he was back in uniform.

He wore a dark blue jersey with red-and-white piping. As Team USA ran through its first World Baseball Classic workout, Kershaw participated in pitchers’ fielding practice and shagged fly balls during batting practice. He could have been home with his five kids, and instead he was rushing off the mound to take a throw at first base.

That November night in Toronto, as it turned out, was not the last time we would see him in uniform.

“Feels good,” he said Monday. “I wouldn’t put on a uniform for anything else. This is a special thing.”

He put the World Baseball Classic into red, white and blue perspective.

“It’s a bucket list thing for me,” he said.

He is either self-deprecating or painfully honest about his capabilities right now, or perhaps a little of both.

The last World Baseball Classic came down to Shohei Ohtani pitching to Mike Trout. This one could come down to Kershaw pitching to Ohtani.

“I think, for our country’s sake, it’s probably better if I don’t,” Kershaw said.

Former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw fields a ground ball during a workout at Papago Park Sports Complex on Monday.

(Chris Coduto / Getty Images)

Never say never. Team USA planned to run a tremendous rotation of Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Joe Ryan and Logan Webb, but now Skubal says he will pitch just once in the tournament. Skenes says he’ll pitch twice. Ryan says he won’t pitch in the first round, at least.

Kershaw might be needed beyond the role he was promised: save the team from using the current major league pitchers in blowouts or extra innings.

In 11 career at-bats against Kershaw, Ohtani has no hits. Kershaw won’t duck the assignment if gets it, but he considers it so unlikely he is happy to share his game plan publicly.

“It’s throw it, pitch away, play away, hope he flies out to left,” Kershaw said. “Don’t throw it in his barrel.

“I can’t imagine, if it comes down to USA versus Japan, with the arms that we have, that I’ll be needed. But I’ll be ready.”

Kershaw’s average fastball velocity dropped to 89 mph last season, but he led the majors in winning percentage. He could eat innings for some team — maybe even the Dodgers, with Blake Snell and Gavin Stone all but certain to be unavailable on opening day.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, right, celebrates with teammates after the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2025 World Series title.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

But, even with his success last year and even with the joy of wearing a uniform once again, he insists he isn’t interested in pitching beyond the WBC.

“I don’t want to,” he said. “You can’t end it better than I did last year. I had a great time last year. It was an absolute blast and honor to be on that team. I think that was the perfect way to end it. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have enough in the tank to pitch for a full season again. I’m really at peace with that decision.

“This is kind of a weird one-off thing, but you can’t really turn down this opportunity. It wasn’t easy to get ready for this, with no motivation for a season, but I actually am in a pretty good spot with my arm. I’ll be fine. If they need me, I’ll be ready.”

Kershaw said he has kept in touch with his old Dodgers teammates, with some connecting on video calls from the weight room or clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. He arrived in the Phoenix area two days before the workout, but he skipped a trip to Camelback Ranch.

“I’ve thought about it,” he said. “I miss the guys. I think it’s probably just better, at least for this first year, for me mentally to just stay away, just for spring training.”

Kershaw said he would be at Dodger Stadium for the championship ring ceremony March 27.

He is content with what he calls “Dad life.” He and his wife, Ellen, just welcomed their fifth child, and Dad life includes lots of shuttles to baseball and basketball practice.

“I run an Uber service,” Kershaw said.

This wouldn’t be a Dodgers story these days without some reference to the team’s big spending so, for what it’s worth, Kershaw spent some time Tuesday chatting with Skubal, who will be the grand prize on the free-agent market next winter, or whenever the likely lockout might end.

That’s a rational explanation, Kershaw says, for Skubal pitching just once in the WBC.

“Everybody knows the situation he is in, contract-wise,” Kershaw said. “Any innings we can get out of him is a huge bonus to this team. He’s great. Super competitive. We’re honored to have him.”

Should we assume Skubal will be pitching for the Dodgers next season? Kershaw laughed.

“No comment,” he said, then walked away to get ready for the first game of his post-retirement life.