Dodgers are not ready to say when Clayton Kershaw will return

REPORTING FROM PHOENIX —  The story remained the same with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Sunday morning. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts declined to offer a date for his return from the disabled list. He spoke in generalities, as he has since Kershaw suffered a herniated disk in late June.

Kershaw threw a four-inning simulated game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Roberts suggested the team would need some time before Kershaw is cleared to pitch.

“With Clayton, it’s contingent upon these next couple days,” Roberts said before Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. “He exerted a lot of effort in that 60-pitch live session. So we’ll see over the next couple days how he responds, and what would be the next step.”

The Dodgers have not listed a starter for Thursday’s game against the Washington Nationals. Kershaw would be on four days’ rest for that outing. The team could also opt to give him an extra rest and start him on Friday in St. Louis.

“We’ve been reluctant to put any return date for Clayton,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to defer to his health, obviously.”

Joc Pederson is due back Tuesday

The Dodgers’ outfield should stabilize on Tuesday, when Joc Pederson is expected to return from the disabled list. Pederson sprained the AC joint in his shoulder when he crashed into a wall in Milwaukee on June 28. With Trayce Thompson also on the shelf due to lower back irritation, the team was forced to use Yasiel Puig in center field on Sunday.

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