MLB Sends Clayton Kershaw Message Before Dodgers Game on Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Clayton Kershaw, a Los Angeles Dodgers legend since his 2008 MLB debut, is currently playing in his 18th season with the team.
Originally selected seventh overall in the 2006 MLB Draft, Kershaw quickly emerged as one of baseball’s best pitchers of all time. Along the way he’s captured an MVP Award, three Cy Youngs, ten All-Star appearances and even a pitching Triple Crown, underscoring a resume that few starters can match.
He’s also been the foundation of L.A.’s remarkable run of October baseball—stretching back to 2013—helping the Dodgers clinch playoff berths every season since, taking on a massive workload for the team.
Already viewed as a first-ballot Hall of Famer with nothing left to prove, Kershaw now finds himself on the brink of yet another milestone.
MLB’s official X account wrote, “Clayton Kershaw is just EIGHT strikeouts away from 3,000. Will his legendary career add a new chapter this afternoon?”
Clayton Kershaw is just EIGHT strikeouts away from 3,000 👀
Will his legendary career add a new chapter this afternoon? pic.twitter.com/LHa7cQtWZd
— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2025
Kershaw would become the 20th pitcher ever to join the exclusive 3,000-strikeout club, the most recent member being Max Scherzer, who notched his 3,000th strikeout with the Dodgers in 2021.
His chance arrives on Thursday in Coors Field, as Kershaw takes the mound against baseball’s worst team, the Colorado Rockies.
Despite missing spring training and the early weeks of the season following offseason left-toe and knee surgery, he debuted in mid-May and has been efficient ever since.
In seven starts he’s gone 3–0 with a 3.31 ERA, piling up 24 strikeouts over 32.2 innings as he reinvents himself this season after a dip in velocity from accumulated arm mileage. As Kershaw chases history, Dodgers fans will be watching to see if their veteran ace can once again turn back the clock—and etch a new chapter into his storied career.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.