LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with inflammation in a pelvic joint.

The Dodgers made the move several hours before Kershaw (4-0, 1.80 ERA) was slated to face the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. Walker Buehler will start instead.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw’s back “locked up on him” during their flight home from Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Kershaw said he had an epidural pain-relieving injection, but he won’t play catch for at least a few days.

“I do believe it will be a brief stint on the IL,” Roberts said. “Just looking at previous years of this, going through this similar situation, getting an epidural, and how his body responds to it.”

Los Angeles recalled left-hander Garrett Cleavinger to take Kershaw’s roster spot.

The 34-year-old Kershaw is off to an outstanding start to his 15th season with the Dodgers. The three-time NL Cy Young winner has 32 strikeouts and just three walks in his five starts since signing a $17 million, one-year deal in March to return to his only professional club.

Kershaw also became the Dodgers’ franchise leader in strikeouts on April 30.

Kershaw has spent time on the injured list in each of the past seven seasons. He was bothered by left arm pain for the entire second half of last season, and he missed the Dodgers’ playoff run.

Buehler (4-1, 1.96 ERA) is making his fill-in start on normal rest because the Dodgers had an off day since his last start. He is also off to an outstanding start to the season with 32 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP.

PADRES: San Diego signed veteran second baseman Robinson Canó to a major league contract and plan to use him as a left-handed bat off the bench.

Canó was not in Friday’s lineup against the Atlanta Braves. Acting manager Ryan Christenson said he could get some occasional starts at second and designated hitter.

The New York Mets, who released Canó on Sunday, owe him nearly $45 million remaining on his original contract signed with Seattle. He will earn a prorated share of the $700,000 minimum.

• San Diego said no cancer was found when Manager Bob Melvin had prostate surgery on Wednesday.

Melvin, 60, was recovering at home Friday after being released from the hospital, the team said.

BAUER APPEAL: Trevor Bauer’s arbitration appeal of his unprecedented two-year suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy has been scheduled to start May 23, a person familiar with the hearing told The Associated Press.

The appeal will be heard by a three-person panel chaired by independent arbitrator Martin Scheinman. It will include one representative each from MLB and the players’ association.

Bauer was suspended by Commissioner Rob Manfred on April 29, a penalty that if unchanged will cost the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher just over $60 million of his $102 million, three-year contract. Bauer immediately said he would challenge it.

A San Diego woman, whom the pitcher had met through social media, has alleged Bauer beat and sexually abused her last year. She later sought but was denied a restraining order. Los Angeles prosecutors said in February there was insufficient evidence to prove the woman’s accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bauer, who hasn’t played since the allegations surfaced last summer and MLB began investigating, repeatedly has said that everything that happened between the two was consensual.

Bauer also has sued the woman in federal court, a move that came less than three months after prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against him.

GUARDIANS: First baseman Josh Naylor was added to the team’s COVID-19 injured list, marking the first player to be sidelined by the team’s recent outbreak.

Cleveland’s game at the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns, and the team was off Thursday. Pitching coach Carl Willis was slated to run the team Friday night at Minnesota after manager Terry Francona was among several coaches placed in health and safety protocols.

As of Friday, Naylor was the only Guardians player to land on the COVID-19 list.

WHITE SOX: Chicago placed ace Lucas Giolito on the COVID-19 injured list and activated outfielder Andrew Vaughn following a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.

Giolito began experiencing mild symptoms Wednesday, a day after he pitched seven innings in a win over Cleveland.

METS: Catcher James McCann will be sidelined for approximately six weeks after he broke a bone in his left wrist.

The Mets say McCann needs surgery to repair his broken left hamate bone.

The 31-year-old McCann was placed on the 10-day injured list. Catcher Patrick Mazeika was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

ARBITRATION: Seattle second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier and Kansas City outfielder Andrew Benintendi won their salary arbitration cases.

Frazier was awarded $8 million million by the panel of Margaret Brogan, Frederic Horowitz and Brian Keller, who heard the case on May 2.

Benintendi will received $8.5 million under the decision by Mark Burstein, Keith Greenberg and Steven Wolf, who listened to arguments on Thursday.

MARINERS: Rather than make his Citi Field debut against the team that traded him, Jarred Kelenic was demoted to Triple-A Tacoma by the Seattle Mariners after the team arrived in New York for a weekend series against the Mets.

The 22-year-old outfielder was hitting .140 with three homers and 10 RBI in 30 games.

ROCKIES: Outfielder Kris Bryant took swings in the cage for the first time since he was sidelined with a sore back nearly three weeks ago and is eyeing a minor league rehab assignment as soon as next week.

Bryant had a cortisone injection in Arizona on Monday that has speeded his recovery from pain in his lower back.

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