Kershaw on track for Saturday start

LOS ANGELES -- Ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw was scratched from a start for the second time this week because of a right hip injury, leading the Dodgers to start righty Zack Greinke instead in Friday night 5-3 win over the Angels.

Kershaw, who missed a start in 2012 with a right hip impingement, has a consecutive-scoreless-innings streak of 29 and is coming off a shutout of the Mets in New York.

But Kershaw, who was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday and rescheduled for Friday night, is now scheduled to start Saturday afternoon, the club said.

"As much as anything, just making sure everything is good. He threw yesterday before his event and he felt good, but we wanted to make sure with an extra day," manager Don Mattingly said. "He probably could've [pitched today]. With the throwing program, we wanted to give him a chance to throw and feel good."

Kershaw did some running in the outfield, dry motions off the mound in the bullpen and played flat-ground catch on Friday before the club announced that he would not start.

"I don't need a quote, I'm pitching tomorrow," was all Kershaw said to reporters before leaving the clubhouse before Friday's game.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said that Thursday's acquisitions of starting pitchers Mat Latos and Alex Wood were influenced in part by the recent injuries to Kershaw and Brett Anderson.

With Greinke starting Friday and Kershaw scheduled to start Saturday, the rest of the rotation can finally take shape now that the Trade Deadline has passed. Latos will start Sunday, Wood will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday and Anderson will pitch Wednesday in Philadelphia.

If Kershaw needs to be scratched again Saturday, it would be Wood's regular rest as he last pitched on Monday against Baltimore. The team has already activated Wood, though he's not scheduled to pitch until Tuesday.