"I don't want injuries to be the reason I stopped playing" - Shohei Ohtani's teammate Clayton Kershaw gets real about retirement

Clayton Kershaw signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal in February to return as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he is not expected to be ready to go when the season starts in Tokyo on March 18.

Kershaw had surgery on both his left toe and left knee over the offseason. He will open up the season on the 60-day IL while he continues to get healthy and ramp up his arm.

Injuries have piled up for Kershaw over the last few years. It has been harder and harder to move past these injuries, especially as a 36-year-old. He understands he is getting older, but he does not want injuries to be the reason he hangs up his cleats, via Dodgers Nation.

"I don't want [injuries] to be the reason that I stopped playing. I don't want to be, like, 'I just can't do it, [I'm] hurt.' Hopefully, I can walk out on my own terms, whenever that is," said Kershaw.

Kershaw then went on to explain the nature of his recovery. This was a lot harder to deal with than some of his other injuries, with it being a lower-half injury instead of a shoulder injury.

"Being on crutches, being in a boot, having every step kind of hurt, it was hard. I don't know if I expected all that a foot surgery entails, but [I'm] thankful now to be on the other side and feel like I'm getting closer to being 100 percent" he added.

Clayton Kershaw can take his time rehabbing from surgery

There is no need to have Clayton Kershaw rush through his rehab. The Dodgers have an elite group of arms that have the capability of being one of the best rotations the sport has ever seen.

The two new names in this rotation include Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. They signed both hurlers over the offseason to bolster their stable of arms. They also have Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto returning from last season. You also cannot forget about Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to return to the mound at some point, or Dustin May.

With their depth, there is no need for Kershaw to feel like he needs to rush through his rehab. He can afford to take his time and make sure he is coming back fully healthy and ready to go.