Kershaw likely to start Sunday, Muncy also nearing return

Two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' most important pieces appear ready to return to action.

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who's missed nearly a month with an inflamed SI joint, is expected to be activated from the injured list and start Sunday against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, manager Dave Roberts said, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

Roberts made the announcement shortly after Kershaw completed a bullpen session Wednesday, his first action since last week's rehab start.

"Got some things to work on, obviously, but overall, to get through four innings was good," Kershaw said Tuesday, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. "I think I'm ready to go."

Before getting injured, Kershaw was authoring another stellar season on the mound, sporting a 1.80 ERA, 2.27 FIP, and 0.73 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and just three walks through his first five starts.

In addition to Kershaw, Roberts said there's "a good possibility" that infielder Max Muncy will be activated from the IL in time for Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox, per Plunkett.

Muncy was sidelined two weeks ago by a left elbow issue. He suffered a torn elbow ligament late last year. Though Muncy went just 2-for-10 in three games during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he's apparently feeling good enough to make his IL stint a brief one.

"The arm feels good, the body feels good," Roberts said of Muncy, per Harris. "We were going to let him drive it, so when he felt good enough to return to play, then that was it. We feel good about it."

Muncy's had a difficult start to his 2022 campaign, hitting just .150/.327/.263 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 41 games with L.A.