‘You Need to Retire’ — Clayton Kershaw Faces Scary Fan Backlash After Another Disappointing Start

Even with a lackluster starting outing from Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a three-game losing streak with their 6-5 win over the New York Mets. After losing the series finale to the New York Yankees and dropping the series opener to the Mets, the Dodgers have a decision to make, as Kershaw has not looked the best in his first four starts of the season.

Fans Call for Clayton Kershaw to Retire After Another Poor Start

Upon his return, Kershaw has yet to throw more than five innings. He’s given up an earned run in three of his four starts, giving up more than one earned run in two of the three. Two of the four games have seen him give up five runs in total, with his most recent being his start against the Mets, where only three of the five were earned. Ultimately, time is ticking on the 37-year-old’s career.

Kershaw: “I just need to put it together for a whole game, figure out how to do that, which I think I can do and will do. It just better be soon.” pic.twitter.com/dJiCixrs9m

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 4, 2025

After his start, Kershaw took to the media: “Just didn’t make enough good pitches. I got ahead of some guys but then gave up two-strike hits. I walked guys, gave some hard-hit balls, overall, not a great day, but the team did great and bailed me out.”

He continued, saying, “I’ll go in a stretch of 10 or 11 good pitches in a row and then make enough bad ones to get some damage done against me. I just need to put it together for a whole game, figure out how to do that, which I think I can do and will do. It just better be soon.”

This Dodgers team has been plagued with injuries, Kershaw being one of them. As he still tries to find himself here in the 2025 season, this fan called for an alternative, “No Clayton Kershaw you NEED to RETIRE! Stop hurting the team already and hang up the gloves and be a coach!” The fan even tagged the official Dodgers account, hoping the team would see his reaction and adjust accordingly.

No @ClaytonKersh22 you NEED to RETIRE!!! Stop hurting the team already and hang up the gloves and be a coach!! @Dodgers

— SeñorTaco (@SenorTacoz) June 4, 2025

Kershaw has yet to record a decision through his four starts this season. He remains 0-0 with 15.2 innings pitched. His ERA sits at 5.17, the highest of his career. Last season, Kershaw had a 4.50 ERA in seven starts, finishing the season with a 2-2 record.

Command remains a big issue for Kershaw in 2025 as he’s walked more batters than he’s struck out. His career K/BB ratio is 4.3, with it being just 0.9 this season. The highest it’s ever been was in 2016, an astonishing 15.6 ratio as he struck out 172 batters and walked just 11. This season, he’s struck out just eight batters and has walked nine.

Overall, there are no signs of Kershaw wanting to retire or even the team asking him to. While he would make for a great coach, there’s no point in jumping to conclusions as Kershaw has only started four games since his injury. The 37-year-old is looking to prove he can still be an elite pitcher in the MLB, but he’s off to a slow start since his return to the mound.