Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looks sharp in live batting practice session
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw lthrew two innings in live batting practice in a tuneup before Cactus League play begins on the weekend. He threw 29 pitches and was able to use a curveball and a slider to complement his fastball.
“This day is always not the most fun, because you’re low on adrenaline, and you have to try to be competitive,” Kershaw said. “You try to create it as best you can. Overall, it went OK, so that’s good. I got it out of the way now, so I can pitch in a real game.”
Kershaw appears slated to pitch the spring-training opener Feb. 25 against the Chicago White Sox. Kershaw declined to say when he would appear in a game, citing his preference for Manager Dave Roberts or pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to reveal the information, but the first game falls four days after his throwing session Monday.
The Dodgers are expected to slate Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda behind Kershaw in the rotation. The final two spots are being kept open for competition this spring.
Short hops
The Dodgers traded left-handed reliever Vidal Nuno to Baltimore for a minor league reliever Sunday, with the maneuver serving mostly to open a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez. Nuno would have competed with Grant Dayton, Luis Avilan and Adam Liberatore for a spot in the bullpen. “With our left-handed relief situation, obviously, there was depth there,” Roberts said. “With the opportunity to create another roster spot, it led to that.” . . . Gutierrez took his physical Monday, but his $2.6-million contract was still not officially announced. Roberts expects to use him as a corner outfielder. “Obviously, he’s a lefty killer, so he’s going to get opportunities in that regard,” Roberts said.
Follow Andy McCullough on Twitter @McCulloughTimes
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