Clayton Kershaw to undergo toe, knee surgeries

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw announced Friday that he will undergo left toe and left knee surgeries next Wednesday.

“I have to get my foot fixed and I have to get my left knee fixed, too. It’s going to be a two-for-one special,” Kershaw said. “I’m going to knock them out at the same time. I don’t know the exact timelines. I don’t know that. I think you have to go in and get it fixed and then kind of understand the timeline after that.”

The injury to his left big toe is what ended Kershaw’s season prematurely. Despite hoping to be back for the start of the postseason, he never got better and ultimately shut things down before the start of October.

As he went through testing, Kershaw said he decided to check his left knee, which had been bothering him for some time. Imaging later showed he needed surgery to repair his left meniscus.

“That one is pretty easy. Just been bugging me,” Kershaw said. “That one, I think, should be pretty quick. The foot is just hard because you can’t walk on it. I’ll be on crutches for a little bit, but I’m thankful I wasn’t on crutches for this.”

“It’s a day that I’ll definitely never forget,” Kershaw said. “You know, baseball is just a game. Everybody says that, but I don’t know. Man, you look around and you see how much it means to so many different people. I think it might be baseball, but it means a lot to a lot of different people. I’m no different.”

Hernández and Flaherty share desire to stay
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández and right-hander Jack Flaherty are both free agents this offseason, but the two made it clear on Friday that their desire is to be back with the Dodgers next season.

In his first season with the Dodgers, Hernández became a fan favorite and an integral part of the lineup. The outfielder signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers last winter in hopes of rebuilding his stock. He now believes he has found a home in Los Angeles.

“My hopes are really high,” Hernández said. “Like I’ve said before, the Dodgers are the priority, obviously. I’m going to do everything in my power to come back.”

Hernández and the Dodgers didn’t have any advanced talks during the season, but they’ll have conversations throughout the winter.

“Hopefully tomorrow,” Hernández joked, when asked about his free-agent timeline and coming back to the Dodgers. “I want us to be here. I want us to be part of this. I have so many good memories here. I’ve learned a lot as a player, as a person. It feels great to be part of this.”

As for Flaherty, the right-hander told David Vassegh on SportsNet LA that he would like to return to his hometown team. Flaherty was a Trade Deadline acquisition from the Tigers and will command a multiyear deal.

“I love this city,” Flaherty said. “I never want to leave.”