The Clayton Kershaw era begins Sunday in Los Angeles.
Kershaw, the Dodgers' top-rated pitching prospect, has been called up from Double-A Jacksonville and will make his major league debut against the Cardinals.
Hopefully Kershaw's a name you've been following the past year or two. L.A. drafted the 6-3, 220-pound lefty right out of high school in 2006, and he's been charging full steam ahead to the majors ever since. He had a tremendous spring training this year and has averaged more than a strikeout an inning so far in Double-A.
The Dodgers are in need of a fifth starter, having just suddenly realized Esteban Loaiza was on their roster, and it seems Kershaw could have at least three starts coming his way, so this isn't just a spot start. There's a decent chance the rookie's already spoken for in a lot of leagues, but if not, scoop him up and throw him in your lineup. There's always risk with rookie starters, and an innings limit will probably come into play at some point for the 20-year-old, but you can't afford to miss Kershaw for his strikeout potential alone.
***UPDATE***
Kershaw looked pretty good in his debut: Six innings, five hits, two walks, two runs, seven strikeouts and a no decision in the Dodgers' win over St. Louis. He threw 69 of his 102 pitches for strikes. Of course, not all his outings will be as smooth as this going forward, but you can confidently keep starting him from here on out until he shows signs of faltering.
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