Clayton Kershaw – Season Could Be Lost With Hip Injury

Dodgers Rotation Without Kershaw and Billingsley

Already without right-hander Chad Billingsley and left-hander Ted Lilly, who are out for the rest of the season because of injuries, the Los Angeles Dodgers might have to pursue a post-season bid without reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

A night after Juan Rivera‘s walk-off single lifted the Dodgers past St. Louis, 4-3, and pulled the Dodgers and Cardinals into a tie for the second wild card spot, Kershaw will miss Sunday’s start with lingering right hip discomfort that could end his 2012 campaign.

While the Dodgers will fly to Washington for a series against the Nationals on Monday, Kershaw will head for New York City and an appointment with Dr. Bryan Kelly, who is associate team physician of the New York Giants and consultant for the Brooklyn Nets, and serves a specialist in hip arthroscopy. Kershaw is seeking a second opinion before having season-ending surgery.

Kershaw, who is 12-9 with a 2.70 ERA in 30 starts this season, is believed to have a torn hip labrum. After his last outing was delayed for two days because of hip inflammation, Kershaw limited Arizona to one unearned run and three hits in seven innings in his team’s 1-0 loss on Tuesday. The hip inflammation was severe enough that his Thursday bullpen schedule was scrapped.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that rookie Stephen Fife will start Sunday, and the Dodgers will use a four-man rotation when the schedule permits. Fife has a 2.16 ERA in three Major League starts this season.

Without Kershaw and Billingsley, the Dodgers rotation features Josh Beckett, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang and Joe Blanton.