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The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to send future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw off with a third World Series ring after he announced his retirement from the game of baseball last month.

Although it is hard to imagine the 18-year veteran in any other uniform, former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti recently revealed just how close his team was to never drafting Kershaw to begin with.

There was a detail than many forget about back in 2005, and that was the Dodgers first-round selection of Luke Hochevar never signing with the team.

Hochevar would go back to the University of Tennessee that year and would wind up becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Colletti detailed how due to a highly-touted arm being available the next season, the pitching needs for each team were all pushed back by one, starting with Hochevar going first. Four pitchers would follow him until the Dodgers picked Kershaw with the No. 7 overall selection.

The pick right before LA was from the Detroit Tigers, taking fellow southpaw Andrew Miller. He would still go on to attain two All-Star selections, an ALCS MVP award, and won the Rivera award for the being the best relief pitcher in the American League in 2015.

Colletti, however, clarified that Kershaw falling to his team was fortunate, but very much part of the plan.

"We didn't want to execute any other plans, Clayton's the guy we wanted," said the former general manager.

As Kershaw pitched in his final regular season start of his illustrious career at the end of last month, a seven-strikeout performance through 5.2 scoreless innings against the AL powerhouse Seattle Mariners, there is still more work to do for the three-time Cy Young award winner.

The Dodgers didn't have Kersh on the Wild Card series roster, likely due to him pitching so close to the postseason starting, the southpaw is on the NLDS roster and looks to be a key option coming out of relief.

The bullpen is something that has been a major point of contention for the Dodgers lately, but if he can use the extent of his powers to help hoist another Commissioner's Trophy, in what would be the final pitches of his MLB career this postseason, it will be a story book ending to an otherworldly career.

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SEATTLE -- The Dodgers opted to shorten up their starting pitchers the past couple of days, with an eye on having them available for the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday. That was not the case with Clayton Kershaw, who pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Mariners for the final regular-season start of his career on Sunday.

Kershaw also figures to be used in relief in the postseason, as long as the Dodgers advance past the Wild Card round. He made his first appearance out of the bullpen since 2019 on Wednesday in Arizona, pitching a scoreless ninth inning. While he seemed likely to be an innings-eater for L.A. in the postseason, he could possibly be used in a short-burst role as well.

Kershaw announced earlier this month that he will retire after the 2025 season. His 451st career start, which came against the Mariners, wrapped an extraordinary 18-year regular-season run in the big leagues that should see him inducted into the Hall of Fame when all is said and done.

The Dodgers have already reckoned with how to include all six of their starters in their postseason pitching plans. They will only need three starting pitchers for the Wild Card Series -- Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in some order -- but Emmet Sheehan and Tyler Glasnow will be available in relief.

Kershaw, an 11-time All-Star and a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, announced on Sept. 18 that he will retire at the end of this season. He made his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium the following day.

The Dodgers, who are the NL West champions for the 12th time in the past 13 years, will be the No. 3 seed in the National League playoffs and begin their postseason run on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium against the No. 6 seed, which will either be the Reds or the Mets, depending on Sunday’s results.

Game 1 of the Dodgers’ NL Wild Card Series is scheduled to begin at 9:08 p.m. ET/6:08 p.m. PT. Tuesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Clayton Kershaw blew a kiss to his family, pounded a fist in his glove, then made the familiar trot from the Dodgers’ dugout to the Chavez Ravine mound.

This time, however, he did it alone.

In what was his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium, coming one day after he announced that he would retire at the end of this year, Kershaw took the field while the rest of his teammates stayed back and applauded.

On a night of appreciation for his 18-year career, the moment belonged to him — and an adoring fan base that has watched his every step.

The first time Kershaw pitched at Dodger Stadium, he was a much-hyped and highly anticipated 20-year-old prospect. His talent immense. His Hall of Fame future in front of him.

When he did it for potentially the last time on Friday night, he was a much-beloved and long-admired 37-year-old veteran. Hardened by the failures that once defined his baseball mortality. Celebrated for the way he had learned to overcome them.

Few athletes in modern sport play for one team, for so long. Fewer still experience the emotional extremes Kershaw was put through, or manage still to weather the storm.

When Kershaw was asked about Dodgers fans during his retirement news conference Thursday, that’s the dynamic he quickly pointed to.

“It hasn’t been a smooth ride,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and downs for sure.”

Between boundless cheers and intermittent boos, historic milestones and horrifying heartbreaks, triumphant summers and torturous falls.

In regular-season play, baseball has maybe never seen a more accomplished pitcher. Kershaw’s 2.54 ERA is the lowest in the live-ball era among those with 100 starts. He is one of the 20 members of MLB’s 3,000 strikeout club. He is one of four pitchers to win three Cy Youngs and an MVP award.

In October, however, no one’s history has been more checkered. There were implosions against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 and 2014. The infamous fifth game of the 2017 World Series against the sign-stealing Houston Astros. The nightmare relief appearance in 2019 against the Washington Nationals. Nine trips to the playoffs in his first 11 seasons, without winning a championship once.

In those days, it made Kershaw’s relationship complicated with Dodger Nation. He was heroic until he wasn’t. Clutch until the autumn. It didn’t matter that he was often pitching on short rest, or through injuries and strenuous workloads, or in situations no other pitcher would have ever been tasked. He was the embodiment of the Dodgers’ repeated postseason failings. The face of a franchise that could never clear the final hurdle.

“It’s almost like a relationship, right?” Kershaw said. “You’ve been in it 18 years with them. There’s some great times, and then there’s some times where you probably want to break up for a minute.”

In his case, though, that’s how such an enduring bond was built.

He persevered through such struggles. He kept coming back every season. He finally got over the hump with World Series titles in 2020 and 2024. He never shied away from even his darkest moments.

“With that responsibility as the ace, you've got to take on a lot of scrutiny or potential failures,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Everything wasn't optimal for him. But he never complained about it. Never made an excuse for it.

“I think the fans, certainly at his highest moments, have shown their love for him and support. In those other times, I think it's just, the fans have been hurting along with him. Wanting so much for a guy that's been such a stalwart and a great citizen and person for this city and organization.”

"I think the respect, the universal respect, is certainly warranted 10 times over.”

Over a 6-3 win against the San Francisco Giants that ended just minutes after the Dodgers clinched their 13th consecutive postseason berth, that’s what was celebrated from Kershaw’s first pitch to his last.

The left-hander threw 4? innings of two-run ball, striking out six batters on four hits and four walks, but it wasn’t his stats that mattered. He struggled with his command, averaged only 89 mph with his fastball, and left the mound with the Dodgers trailing, but the memories from this night will go far beyond that.

From the moment Kershaw emerged on the field at 6:23 p.m., fans rose to their feet. They cheered and chanted his pregame routine in the outfield and bullpen. They roared when his name was introduced shortly before first pitch.

They knew this could be his Dodger Stadium send-off, a sentimental opportunity to say thank you for all he accomplished and all he endured.

Kershaw felt a swirl of emotions, as well, sitting teary-eyed in the outfield while taking in the scene before the game began.

“You’re trying to focus on the night and getting outs, but it’s a special day,” Kershaw said. “It’s the last time here, potentially, and this place has meant so much to me for so long. I didn’t want to not think about it.”

At the start of the first inning, his teammates made sure he wouldn’t. As Kershaw headed to the mound, the Dodgers’ fielders made an impromptu decision to stay back and let him be serenaded with an extended ovation.

“I didn’t love it,” Kershaw joked. “But it was a great gesture.”

And as he stood on the mound alone, he smiled and waved at a moment 18 years in the making.

“This is one of those moments where Dodger fans, you all have seen him for 18 years and watched his career grow and everything that he's gone through,” Roberts said. “People are going to look back and go, 'I was there for the last time he started a home game at Dodger Stadium.' ”

From there, the night was surprisingly tense.

Kershaw gave up a home run on the third pitch of the game to Heliot Ramos. He spent the next four innings battling traffic, stranding two runners later in the first, another two in the second, and two more in the third after a Wilmer Flores RBI single.

By the fourth, it was clear Kershaw was not long for the evening. His pitch count was rising. The bullpen was active. And with two outs in the inning, Willy Adames was extending a two-strike at-bat.

On the ninth pitch of that battle, however, Kershaw finally got a whiff on a slider. For the first time since the first inning, Dodger Stadium erupted once again.

Kershaw returned to the mound in the fifth, and struck out Rafael Devers with a fastball at the knees.

With that, his night was over, along with maybe his Dodger Stadium career.

“I feel like the moments that we have right there in front of us, it's history,” second baseman Miguel Rojas said.

“You had to just kind of be there to really feel the emotions,” shortstop Mookie Betts added.

In the stands, applause echoed through a sellout crowd of 53,037 — which included former teammates Austin Barnes, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin, Trayce Thompson and AJ Pollock; as well as other Los Angeles sports icons from Magic Johnson to Matthew Stafford (a childhood friend of Kershaw’s from Texas).

After receiving hugs from his infield, and embracing Roberts with an apology (“I'm sorry I pitched so poorly tonight”) and a request (“Not trying to be disrespectful, but I’m keeping this ball”), the pitcher then made the slow walk back from the rubber.

He took a deep breath. He gave a hugging motion to his family sitting in the loge level. He donned his cap, and repeatedly said thank you to a crowd that never ceased to cheer.

“It hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but you guys have stuck with me,” Kershaw, who also re-emerged from the dugout for a raucous curtain call, reiterated in a postgame on-field interview.

“Dodger Stadium is a super special place, and the fans are the main reason why," he added in his postgame news conference with reporters. "They continue to come out and support us. Every night, it’s 50,000 people. I wish I had better words other than I’m just so honored and thankful to hear those ovations. I’ll never take that for granted.”

Now, one more October awaits — with the Dodgers (87-67) officially clinching a postseason berth Friday after roaring to the lead on back-to-back home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Betts in the bottom half of the fifth.

Read more: 'I’m really at peace.' Why Clayton Kershaw decided to make resurgent 2025 season his last

Kershaw’s role in this last title chase is uncertain. With a loaded rotation, but shaky relief corps, the Dodgers' best use for him could come out of the bullpen. Roberts said he envisions Kershaw fitting somewhere on the playoff roster. Kershaw said he can “do the math” and is prepared “to do whatever I can to help.”

Either way, his legacy with the Dodgers, and its forever indebted fan base, had already long before been graciously cemented.

“I’m kind of mentally exhausted today, honestly, but it’s the best feeling in the world now,” Kershaw said. “We got a win, we clinched a playoff berth, and I got to stand on that mound one last time. I just can’t be more grateful.”

“Perfect night,” he later added. “It really was.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have one more Pittsburgh Pirates matchup to wrap up the three-game series. But L.A. already has a new pitching plan lined up for the future. One involving Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw.

Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Jack Harris unveiled what Dave Roberts plans to do. Which he shared via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday afternoon.

“Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching start will be Monday back home in LA. Clayton Kershaw will move up to pitch on four days rest on Sunday,” Harris shared.

This approach rules out Ohtani from facing the Baltimore Orioles in interleague action. Whereas the lefty Kershaw will return to the hill soon.

Shohei Ohtani scratched from previous Dodgers start

Fans wanting to see Ohtani throw heat nearly saw him do so on Wednesday.

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However, Roberts made the decision to elevate Emmet Sheehan as starter. Ohtani felt under the weather and got limited to designated hitting duties, per Roberts.

Sheehan, though, left the 3-0 loss to the Pirates with controversy. Fans blasted the right-handed Sheehan for this moment outlined by MLB reporter Ben Verlander.

“It appears Emmet Sheehan just intentionally kept the first MLB hit ball for Cam Devanney. The team asked for the ball. The umpire threw Sheehan a new ball and he clearly switched it in his glove,” Verlander posted on his X account.

Dodgers reporter Kristen Watson spoke with Sheehan about the ordeal. Denying Sheehan did that on purpose.

“Emmet Sheehan said it was not intentional, he didn’t realize that the ball was being called for and shared he would personally apologize to Cam Devanney for the misunderstanding,” Watson shared.

As for Kershaw, he threw in four innings on Tuesday in the Steel City. Kershaw surrendered four hits and fanned three batters. He pitched in five total innings.

The Dodgers are known for having top-of-the line training staff, and athletic development coordinator Eric Yavarone is no exception. He’s been working with Clayton Kershaw extensively this season with incredible results: Kershaw is coming off of a perfect August, going 5-0 in his starts. What’s the secret? Something Yavarone calls “the bowl,” writes Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times.

The bowl is how Yavarone describes the hip, pelvis, and lower back area. For Kershaw, who has a history of back issues, the concept allowed him to think of moving and maintaining the area in a new way. He’s been feeling much better on a daily basis, allowing him to remain more consistent on the mound.

Consistency has long been the name of Kershaw’s game. He’s known for maintaining the same routines, from pre-game rituals to his workout regimen, but he’s also been open to tweaks when needed—to a point. He worried that altering his routines too much would affect his pitching, Harris writes, until Yavarone introduced the bowl.

“It was giving him more of the ‘why,’ showing him the anatomy part of it,” Yavarone said. “I think with him, if he feels you believe in what you want him to do, if you’re convicted when you tell him what you got for him, I think he likes that.”

From changing breathing patterns to new weightlifting and mobility drills, Kershaw has adjusted his long-held habits and seen results because of it, feeling looser and healthier than ever.

“I haven’t heard boo about anything as far as any physical kind of thing, outside of just the grind of the season,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Will Smith’s pinch-hit, walk-off homer on Sunday saved the Dodgers from being swept. Could it be the beginning of a much-needed turnaround for the Dodgers at the plate? Let’s hope so, writes Doug Padilla at the Orange County Register.

The Red Sox released Walker Buehler on Friday, and he’s already found a new home with the Philadelphia Phillies, writes Matt Gelb at The Athletic. He’s signed to a minor-league deal but is scheduled to start in the majors on September 12 as part of a six-man rotation.

We already know that the Dodgers’ head-to-head record with the Padres could make a big difference come playoffs, but several other divisions could come down to tiebreakers as well, as Dayn Perry outlines at CBS Sports.