Clayton Kershaw opens up about visiting Donald Trump at the White House in Freddie Freeman's absence

Los Anngeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw expressed his gratitude towards his teammates after visiting US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

While World Series MVP Freddie Freeman was supposed to represent the Dodgers and speak in front of the President, an ankle injury kept him from travelling to Washington DC for the reception. In his stead, Kershaw spoke on the team's achievements despite having missed out on the postseason last year due to a toe injury.

In an interview with SportsNetLA, Kershaw opened up on the team's visit to the White House (0:28):

"Well, it's always an honor. I don't ever want to say no to those types of opportunities. Obviouosly, Freddie was going to be the one to speak and he didn't make the trip. So, me not having a lot to do with the October run was a little awkward.

"But at the same time, somebody on the outside that didn't playe is set to make , to be able to highlight some of the things that this group did was cool because maybe somebody that was playing could maybe not say some of those stuff because they're too close to it. I thought that was cool, I got to highlight what this group meant just watching from the outside. It was a cool thing to get to honor them and I'm happy I got to do it."

Clayton Kershaw signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Dodgers for 2025, matching the longest tenure for a player in franchise history.

As he embarks on his 18th season in the MLB, the 37-year-old hasn't yet made an appearance for the Dodgers this year but is expected to make a return to the mound soon. Luckily, there's no hurry for him to return in haste, thanks to a wealth of pitching talent at the Dodgers' disposal.

---

Clayton Kershaw shares latest update on his potential return from injury

Having missed the World Series run with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, Clayton Kershaw will hope to play a part in their title defence this time.

With his return timeline still uncertain, the veteran spoke to David Vassegh of Dodger Talk, giving an update on his injury:

"My arm is ready to go, but my toe isn't all the way there. It's a unique injury for baseball. When my toe is ready, I'll be ready to go."

Clayton Kershaw is dealing with a rare injury to the big toe in his left foot, which ended his season last year.

Before his injury, he had put up career-worst numbers in limited appearances last season. Despite being an MLB great, he will hope to put in a few good performances before hanging up his gloves.