Dodgers to put Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list

Clayton Kershaw received an epidural injection on Wednesday to combat the ongoing discomfort in his lower back, and the Dodgers are preparing for him to miss an extended period of time. He is expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list in the next two days, as the front office scrambles to find a starter to take his place on Friday.

Manager Dave Roberts did not provide an exact diagnosis of Kershaw’s condition before Thursday’s game against the Brewers. But the team may be without him even after his initial two weeks on the disabled list expire.

“How his body responds to the epidural, that’s the most telling,” Roberts said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be. I don’t know. I’m hopeful. But I can’t say either way.”

Kershaw had dealt with the discomfort in his back for about a month. He reported an increase in soreness on Monday morning, a day after a six-inning, four-run outing in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers flew him to Los Angeles to see back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday.

Kershaw did not fight the team’s decision to shut him down, Roberts said. He joined a veritable rotation of Dodgers pitchers on the disabled list, a group that includes Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood and Frankie Montas.

With Kershaw down, the Dodgers need an arm to pitch on Friday, when Kershaw was slated to face the Colorado Rockies. The best internal option is minor league swingman Carlos Frias. The team may reach outside the organization, and has been connected with Tampa Bay pitcher Erasmo Ramirez.

The Dodgers are expected to reveal the extent of Kershaw’s injury at some point on Thursday.

“I know Clayton’s very disappointed,” Roberts said. “It’s up to us to pick him up.”

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes

UPDATES:

10:26 a.m.: This article was updated with staff reporting.

This article was originally published at 10:02 a.m.