Dodgers' Kershaw says he'll retire after season

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw has decided helium volition discontinue astatine the extremity of this season, which volition people his 18th with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers announced Kershaw's determination Thursday, adding that Friday volition people the last regular-season location commencement of his career. Kershaw is scheduled to clasp a quality league aboriginal Thursday.

"On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton connected a fabulous vocation and convey him for the galore moments helium gave to Dodger fans and shot fans everywhere, arsenic good arsenic for his profound charitable endeavors," Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter said successful a statement. "His is simply a genuinely legendary career, 1 that we cognize volition pb to his induction successful the Baseball Hall of Fame."

Kershaw has won an MVP and 3 National League Cy Young Awards successful a vocation that volition undoubtedly decorativeness successful the Hall of Fame, portion making 11 All-Star Games, accumulating 222 victories and posting a 2.54 ERA. Earlier this year, helium became the 20th pitcher successful shot past to accumulate 3,000 strikeouts.

Now 37, Kershaw rejoined the Dodgers' rotation successful the mediate of May, successful the aftermath of offseason genu and toed surgeries, and helped to stabilize a radical that had erstwhile again been ravaged by injury. In August, arsenic the rotation began to circular into form, Kershaw elevated to different level, winning each 5 of his starts portion posting a 1.88 ERA. All told, helium is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA successful 20 starts this season, contempt throwing the slowest fastball of his career.

After Kershaw starts against the San Francisco Giants connected Friday, his relation volition beryllium unclear. The Dodgers volition caput into the postseason with six susceptible starters, making it highly improbable that Kershaw makes different start.

"I consciousness that there's a spot for him connected our postseason roster," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told ESPN earlier this week.

"I don't cognize what role, but I deliberation that the bottommost enactment is, I spot him. And so, for me, the postseason is astir players you trust."