Culver City Observer -

The trading deadline is Monday and it’s anyone’s guess if the Dodgers will acquire an established starting pitcher. Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray and a very expensive Justin Verlander are available for the right price. But the Dodgers haven’t been participating in the bidding for an elite starter for a couple of years. They’re proud of their farm system and reluctant to part with their top pitching prospects.

Clayton Kershaw has a back injury considered not as bad as the one last season that resulted in a 2 ½ month absence. The highly respected Dr. Robert Watkins gave Kershaw a rigid workout schedule last season. Kershaw lived up to his reputation as a diligent worker and when Kershaw returned he pitched well. “I worked hard to become healthy so it is frustrating that my back has become a problem again,” he told reporters Sunday. He had been taken out of the game against Atlanta after two innings. The Dodgers beat the Braves, 5-4 in 10 innings. Well, here we go again. “We’re going to continue winning baseball games,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I got sick to my stomach to see Clayton hurt again,” said Dodgers relief ace Kenley Jansen. “

We don’t want anything to happen to him. But we just have to keep playing like we have been.”The difference is the news that Kershaw doesn’t have a disc problem like last year. The injury is muscular and that’s regarded as less serious. But it’s likely Kershaw will miss four to six weeks again and the Dodgers can only hope he comes back strong and performs well in the playoffs. Do the Dodgers protect themselves by bringing in an established starting pitcher or gamble that their young farmhands will contribute to a World Series championship which would be the Dodgers’ first one since 1988. Even before Kershaw was injured the Dodgers were gaining information primarily on Tecas’Darvish but also on Oakland’s Gray. Darvish will be a free agent after the season, so how valuable will the Dodgers think he’ll be worth? By contrast, Gray’s contract is good for two moé years.

The Dodgers’ initial action has been to bring up two minor league pitchers and activate Brandon McCarthy from the disabled list. They also released struggling relief pitcher Surgio Romo. Is that going to be it or is there going to be more?