Could this be the end of the line for a longtime SF Giants division foe?

Longtime SF Giants division foe Clayton Kershaw struggled to a 4.50 ERA in seven starts this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers shut him down for the remainder of the year following a bone spur in his toe. Could this be the end of the line for the future Hall of Fame pitcher?

Could this be the end of the line for a longtime SF Giants division foe?

With the Dodgers in the midst of a playoff run and running low on pitching, you would think that they can take any pitcher they can get. However, if a pitcher is not healthy, then they may just do more harm than good.

That might be the case for Kershaw. And, it is fair to wonder how much longer his body will allow him to pitch. The southpaw pitcher has battled a number of injuries in recent seasons. In fact, he has not made more than 25 starts in a year since 2019.

Despite this, Kershaw has continued to throw the ball quite well. He could be 50 years old and still be able to collect six shutout innings against the Giants.

The Dodgers knew that the veteran pitcher would miss the first half of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last offseason. However, when he did return, he was not nearly as effective as he had been in the past.

Kershaw does not have anything left to prove at this stage in his career. He has pitched in 17 seasons, earned 10 All-Star nods, and won three Cy Young Awards. When he decides to hang up his spikes, he will be able to skate with ease into the Hall of Fame.

Perhaps, Kershaw's Hall of Fame speech will give a shoutout to the Giants. After all, he has been a thorn in the Giants' side for nearly two decades. In 60 appearances against San Francisco, he has tallied 26 wins with a 2.04 ERA. That is a level of dominance that the Giants lineup will not miss when Kershaw calls it a career.

That decision could be coming sooner than we expect. He did sign a one-year deal with a player option for 2025. Given the nagging injuries he has dealt with over the years, you have to wonder if he decides to just ride off into the sunset instead.

Even if he does continue his career for one more year, you can count on one hand the number of starts he has remaining against the Giants. Maybe he will go easy on them for once.