Clayton Kershaw set to rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation Monday

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Clayton Kershaw is ready to come off the disabled list.

The two-time Cy Young winner struck out nine batters over five innings in a minor-league rehab start last night at Double-A and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that he’s scheduled to return from a teres major muscle strain Monday against the Nationals.

Kershaw tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball to beat the Diamondbacks in the season-opening game in Australia, but he’s been on the disabled list since March 29. He threw 86 pitches yesterday, so Kershaw should be more or less fully stretched out.

All the missed time will make winning a third Cy Young award very difficult, so Kershaw might have to settle for making a run at a fourth straight ERA title in the first year of his $215 million contract extension.

Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal

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Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.