As Los Angeles Dodgers' starters dropped like flies in the early going of the season, the team was left scrambling, searching for answers in their quest to repeat as champions. Their best hope to tread water was their 37-year-old former ace, Clayton Kershaw, though his success in his 17th year in the majors was an open question, especially after undergoing offseason surgeries on both his left toe and left knee.
Making his season debut on May 17, Kershaw was exactly what the doctor ordered for the ailing Dodgers' rotation. While he is no longer at the peak of his powers, his presence was a stabilizing force in the rotation, given all the early-season turmoil.