Clayton Kershaw retires: emotional Dodger Stadium sendoff, but could he return in October?

Clayton Kershaw took the mound at Dodger Stadium for the final regular-season home game of his career, giving fans one more chance to celebrate the greatest pitcher of his generation.

The 37-year-old left-hander, who announced his retirement earlier this week, started against the San Francisco Giants and exited to a thunderous ovation after 91 pitches over four and one-third innings.

Kershaw left the game with the Dodgers trailing 2-1, and manager Dave Roberts made the call to pull him due to his pitch count. Reliever Edgardo Henríquez came on after Kershaw allowed four hits, two earned runs, four walks and struck out six Giants hitters.

Strong finish to an 18-year career

Friday’s start was Kershaw’s 21st of the 2025 season. He finished the year with a 10-2 record, a 3.55 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 106 1/3 innings. The Highland Park, Texas, native closes out his Hall of Fame résumé with 3,045 career strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards, the 2014 National League MVP and a 2020 World Series title.

Could Kershaw pitch again this season?

While this was Kershaw’s last regular-season appearance at home, there’s still a chance he could take the mound again in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have eight regular-season games left, all on the road, three in Arizona against the Diamondbacks and five in Seattle against the Mariners. Kershaw might make one more start on September 25 in Arizona or September 26 in Seattle.

Los Angeles currently holds a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West. They’ve already locked up at least a Wild Card berth, with the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies well ahead in the standings. Depending on how the final week shakes out, the Dodgers could face either the Padres or the Chicago Cubs in the postseason. If they maintain home-field advantage, Kershaw could get one more chance to pitch at Dodger Stadium during the playoffs.

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