Clayton Kershaw confident after making first rehab start

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. --Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw took another step in his comeback from left shoulder surgery, throwing three innings in his first rehab start.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and two hits, struck out five and walked one on a pitch clock violation at Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night. He threw 37 pitches in front of a sellout crowd at LoanMart Field.

"I checked all the boxes," Kershaw said. "It was fun to get back out there. As long as everything comes out fine, I think I'm on for the next one. Stuff's OK. It's getting better, so hopeful that over time you start working more on pitching and less about health and get ready to go."

Kershaw's pitches registered mostly 88 to 90 mph.

He is expected to make a few more rehab starts before rejoining the Dodgers.

The rotation has been rocked recently. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is out indefinitely after going on the injured list with a strained rotator cuff. Walker Buehler, who is coming off a second Tommy John surgery, joined him on the IL on Wednesday after taking a line drive to his right hip a day earlier at Colorado.

Kershaw, 36, underwent surgery in November, a month after his disastrous start in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he left having gotten just one out. The Dodgers were swept in the series.