Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw to have back examined

MILWAUKEE >> The Dodgers’ starting rotation has unraveled from the back. Now there is reason to be conceed about the top of the rotation as well.

One day after downplaying the lower back discomfort that has bothered Clayton Kershaw for some time, the Dodgers are sending their ace back to Los Angeles to have his back examined. Kershaw was at Miller Park Tuesday but is scheduled to leave Wednesday moing for the trip back to LA where he is expected to meet with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman characterized the decision as “precautionary” at this point.

“He’s not any better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s been a few weeks where it’s been in and out. He’s felt good then it kind of started barking a little bit. I think we just want to get some answers.”

Any answer that would take Kershaw out of the Dodgers’ rotation for an extended period – any length of time, really – would be a major blow to a team that has gone 14-2 in his starts, 28-34 when they send anyone else to the mound.

“We’re not thinking about that,” Roberts said when asked to consider a future without Kershaw pitching every fifth day.

An MVP candidate and the major-league leader in ERA (1.79), WHIP (0.73), strikeouts (145) and WAR (by at least one calculation), Kershaw pitched Sunday in Pittsburgh, taking only his second loss of the season and failing to complete at least seven iings for only the second time as well. He was not scheduled to pitch during the three-game series in Milwaukee.

Roberts said the Dodgers were “hopeful” that Kershaw would still be able to make his next scheduled start, Friday against the Colorado Rockies. That seems unlikely, however.

“(Let’s) get him in the doctor’s hands then they’ll go from there,” Roberts said. “I’m sure they’re going to do everything they can to see what the problem is. ... I think we’ll know more once he gets some tests and we see where we’re at.”

The Dodgers are already in a bad place when it comes to their starting rotation. They will promote right-hander Brock Stewart from Triple-A to start Wednesday in their latest attempt to fill the final spot in their rotation. Stewart – a two-way player at Illinois State who spent more time at third base than on the mound as a collegian – started this year in Class-A, climbing three levels in three months. He will become the ninth pitcher to start a game for the Dodgers this season, the fourth to make his major-league debut (joining Julio Urias, Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda).

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Meanwhile, four starting pitchers are on the DL – Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson. Wood and Anderson are nowhere near retuing. McCarthy made his fourth rehab start Monday, going five iings for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. He threw 72 pitches, allowing four runs on seven hits.

Ryu made his fourth rehab start – in his second attempt at a comeback –for Triple-A Oklahoma City Tuesday but it lasted only 1 2/3 iings. Rain delayed the game in the second iing and Ryu did not retu to the mound. He is expected to make another start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga later this week.

Neither would be available to step in for Kershaw on Friday. Roberts said “McCarthy would be a tick above Ryu for me” in terms of being ready to face major-league hitters but the manager sounded less than enthused about their readiness to retu to a major-league rotation.

“Like I said a few days ago, I think anything should be and is on the table,” he said. “For us, it’s that day, whatever TBD we have, who gives us the best chance that day. Is it ideal if they don’t get that extra start? Maybe not. But if that’s the circumstance we’re in then I think that’s the circumstance we’re in.”

Right-handers Carlos Frias or Mike Bolsinger seem the most likely candidates to start Friday if needed. Stripling pitched 2 1/3 iings in the OKC Dodgers’ rain-interrupted game Tuesday after spending the past month at the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona to hold down his workload this season.

The Dodgers had plaed to give Urias the same kind of mid-season break in order to cap his iings this season – and save some for later in the season at the major-league level. With Urias seeming to improve with every start and the Dodgers’ rotation options disappearing, that might be a luxury they can’t afford.

“These are the things we’re definitely considering because these games are just as important as the ones in September,” Roberts said. “Those games don’t matter as much if we don’t win these. We’ve got a guy who’s a fresh arm, getting major-league hitters out.”