Kershaw pounded, may still get call

Clayton Kershaw seems to take a loss every time he climbs a Double-A mound. On Monday it was actually his fault. Typically plagued by poor run support, the 20-year-old Dodger farmhand struggled for the first time all year in the worst outing of his season to date, but it was the fact that Kershaw is back in the Double-A rotation that is most telling about his immediate future.

The Dodgers are rumored to consider starting Kershaw this coming Saturday. Kershaw had been dropped out of the Double-A rotation recently in order to limit his innings and keep the lefty flamethrower fresh for a potential late-season call-up. The fact that Kershaw was suddenly working Monday night, exactly five days before the Dodgers might need him at the major league level, suggests that Kershaw's first start in the big leagues may be imminent.

Then again, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said they might use him both out of the bullpen and then again in the rotation in Double-A to keep Kershaw fresh yet prepared for a later call-up. This is high drama.