Australia: Kershaw celebrates birthday with a visit from a kangaroo

SYDNEY, Australia -- As Dodgers pitching ace Clayton Kershaw prepares for the opening of the baseball season, it’s clear he has his Mojo. In this case, Mojo is a 9-month-old kangaroo that helped the Cy Young winner celebrate his birthday in Sydney, Australia.

The Dodgers will face the Arizona Diamondbacks for games Saturday and Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the first time Major League Baseball has opened Down Under. Kershaw, slated to pitch in the first game on Saturday, turned 26 on Wednesday, and his wife, Ellen, wanted to surprise her spouse with a visit with a marsupial (that activity is said to be on his bucket list).

With help from Destination New South Wales tourism organization and Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside, about 45 minutes from Sydney, the joey and the pitcher had their bonding moment at Sydney Harbour.

Kershaw would have faced Dbacks ace Patrick Corbin in the opener, but the snakes’ ace has been sidelined with a sore elbow and may be facing Tommy John surgery. Wade Miley will take the mound instead. He was 10-10 with an ERA of 3.55 for 2013. Kershaw was 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA, which earned him his second Cy Young.

On Thursday, the Dodgers bested Team Australia in an exhibition game, beating the Aussies 4-2.