Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw still not throwing, no return date set

LOS ANGELES - Five weeks after he last started a major league game, Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw still is not participating in baseball activities.

Kershaw said Tuesday that he intends to pitch again this season as he tries to recover from a herniated disk in his lower back, but no timetable for his return has been set.

"He's just doing core work, the back, strengthening," manager Dave Roberts said. "He hasn't picked up a baseball yet. Hopefully sooner than later, but no baseball activities."

Kershaw did throw in a simulated game just after the All-Star break concluded, but a setback with his back injury has him shut down again. Just two months of the season remain, and Kershaw will first have to stretch out his arm and get built up to handle a starter's workload.

Where the Dodgers didn't think Kershaw would need a minor league rehab assignment before his setback, it seems obvious that he will need some rehab games under his belt now. It all will delay his return to the Dodgers even further.

"I think it is on the horizon, but I just don't know how close," Roberts said when asked when Kershaw might start throwing again. "Obviously the sooner the better, but with Clayton we don't have to worry about the effort and the focus. When it happens we'll find out, but there is no timeline for us."

Kershaw's goal is to not only return but to have an impact for the team this season.

"It's just hard not to pitch; that's what I love to do," Kershaw said earlier this week. "You realize how much you love the game when you're away from it and how much you take it for granted. I learned that. Being healthy is something that really is a blessing. It's something that you really can't take for granted. It's hard to be away but I understand and I'm just trying to be patient."