Hours before Clayton Kershaw was supposed to take the mound against the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed him on the injured list with back stiffness. The team recalled pitcher Dustin May to replace him and make the start Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
Thursday would have marked Kershaw's ninth career Opening Day start. His eight-year streak of Opening Day starts was snapped last season when he began the year on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
Kershaw averaged over 31 starts per season from 2009-15. In the four years since, he's averaged 25.