Clayton Kershaw is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup and helped beat the Colorado Rockies in the first of their three-game series.
The 10-time All-Star has been out for over a month to recover from a shoulder injury.
His return showed how much he missed the game and did not miss a beat. The 35-year-old pitcher allowed just one run and struck out four over five solid innings.
Coach Dave Roberts feels relieved with the return of his star player, who was on a roll before he got injured.
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"He's not the most enjoyable guy when he's not healthy," Roberts told reporters after the match.
However, the manager thinks Kershaw should not push himself to the limit yet.
"I just think we need to make sure he takes the ball every fifth or sixth day," Roberts said. "I know Clayton wants to be a part of this really bad. He knows how special this group is, and he wants to contribute... I think for him, my thought is just be yourself; you don't have to do it on your own.
Kershaw wants to be there until the finish line
The Dodgers are making a playoff push, but the past 35 games were played without Kershaw.
The player is not yet 100 percent, but he aims to play a more active role in the next matches to take care of his team's record atop the NL West.
Kershaw believes that despite their 6.5 games lead over the San Francisco Giants in the table, nothing is assured yet.
"We want to be part of that more than anything," he said. "The division is not won yet. We still got a lot to do."
Kershaw is expected to start against the Milwaukee Brewers, whom they will meet after the series with the Rockies.
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