Clayton Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers and more than 3,000 strikeouts

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — An emotional Clayton Kershaw said Thursday he will retire at the end of the season, having spent his entire 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Wiping his eyes, his voice choking at times, Kershaw said he knew going into the season that it was likely going to be his last, but he didn't want to say anything in case he changed his mind.

“I’m really not sad. I’m really at peace with this. It's just emotional and I tried to hold it together,” he said at a Dodger Stadium news conference. “I told our guys not to make it weird today because I was going to get weird if you make it weird, and here I am making it weird.”

The three-time Cy Young Award winner had his wife, Ellen, and four children with him in the room crowded with his teammates, manager Dave Roberts and media.

“I’ve just never been around a greater competitor,” Roberts said. “Very accountable, very consistent. He’s made me better and I think we’ve both grown together so I feel fortunate to have been able to manage him and be around him for 10 years."

The 37-year-old left-hander who got his 3,000th strikeout in July will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants.

“The game in and of itself I’m going to miss a lot, but I’ll be OK without that,” Kershaw said. “The hard thing will be the feeling after a win. That’s pretty special.”

The 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years with the Dodgers in franchise history. Kershaw won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024.

“I love being here. I wouldn’t change that for anything,” Kershaw said. “My kids have grown up here. We’ve all grown up here.”

Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, which lead active major league players. He threw his only no-hitter in June 2014 against Colorado.

His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live-ball era since 1920, and his winning percentage tops all pitchers with at least 200 victories since 1900.

Kershaw's decision was not unexpected. He has struggled with injuries in recent years and began this season on the IL while recovering from offseason surgery. He didn't pitch until May, but proved to be a stalwart when the rotation was hard-hit by injuries.

“Not a lot of people get this opportunity,” he said, “so I’m just super grateful for it.”

In 2024, Kershaw was forced to end his season in August because of a toe injury that limited him to seven starts and just 30 innings with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA, all career lows.

Kershaw is one of three active pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts, along with former teammate Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Kershaw could be the last pitcher for a while to reach the milestone — often considered a surefire ticket for Hall of Fame enshrinement. Kershaw would be eligible for Cooperstown in 2031.

He missed the entire postseason, including the Dodgers' World Series win over the New York Yankees. That spurred him to return this year for what many had speculated would be his final season.

“I appreciate everything that he’s meant to the game, meant to the Dodgers, meant to myself,” shortstop Mookie Betts said.

As great as he's been during the regular season, he's endured his share of heartache in October. He has a 4.22 ERA in the postseason.

His teammates often cite his work ethic between starts as inspirational, and he is a commanding, if quiet, presence in the clubhouse.

“It’s sad day but it’s an exciting day for him,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “He gets to finally move on to the next chapter.”

Frequently tabbed as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Kershaw built his reputation with a pitching style that relies on deception, movement and velocity changes. He has said he modeled his mechanics after his favorite childhood pitcher, Roger Clemens.

As his velocity diminished in recent years, he found ways to compensate by adapting his approach.

Kershaw is one of the better fielding pitchers and before the National League added a designated hitter, he was known as a decent hitter, too.

He made his big league debut on May 25, 2008.

Kershaw won't be bored away from the field. His wife is expecting their fifth child. His oldest son, Charley, has a locker in the Dodgers clubhouse next to his father. The couple has done humanitarian work in Africa and Los Angeles.

He spends the offseason in his native Dallas, where he and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford were teammates on their high school football team.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB