Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Opening Day status in doubt

Kershaw (shoulder) continues to improve, and the Dodgers hope he will be ready for Opening Day, but manager Dave Roberts said Monday that time may be running out, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Kershaw saga remains difficult to read, as he's been the subject of much speculation despite never being diagnosed with a significant injury and never even undergoing an MRI. His shoulder didn't feel right during a late-February throwing session, leading to him being briefly shut down on two separate occasions, though recent reports suggest that his throwing program is trending in the right direction. Still, for a player who has averaged less than 25 starts per season over the last three seasons, an abundance of caution wouldn't be unwise. The Dodgers have become well-known for their willingness to rest pitchers in recent years, so a trip to the injured list to start the year certainly wouldn't be out of the ordinary even if Kershaw is never diagnosed with a specific injury.