SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw left his start Thursday at San Francisco because of low back pain, the team said.
Kershaw appeared to tweak something while he was warming up before the bottom of the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 4-2 win. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner winced and pointed to his dugout, and then walked off the field gingerly with a trainer.
The 34-year-old Kershaw made 66 pitches through four innings, allowing one earned run and three hits with four strikeouts. He left with a 4-2 lead.
Kershaw spent time on the injured list earlier this season due to inflammation in a pelvic joint. He was 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 14 starts entering Thursday’s game.
Right-hander Phil Bickford came on in relief. The NL West-leading Dodgers got their fifth straight win.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.