LOS ANGELES - Clayton Kershaw will debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday with the Los Angeles Angels.

The 37-year-old left-hander started his 18th season, recovering from toe and knee surgery on the injury roster. His return was a pivotal moment for the Dodgers, with starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and rookie roki sasaki on the injury roster.

"It's a big shot," manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. "Clayton worked very hard to get healthy and the bar was high for him. He didn't want to come back and be active. He wanted to come back and help us win baseball games and stay in good shape. I know he's happy to contribute."

Kershaw started two runs, two hits and two walks from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. He shot 57 goals in four innings.

"It feels good to focus on pitching," he told KLAC-AM before Tuesday's game. "I just focused on how much damage my foot was getting after last year. Just focused on the next court, not getting hurt. It's a tough road, but I feel good."

Roberts said Kershaw's upcoming returns “added elements of certainty and performance.”

The three-time CY Young Award winner will connect Zack Wheat and Bill Russell to the Dodgers series at the Dodgers franchise as the weekend begins. He and Russell are the only players to record 18 seasons since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

“I’m tired of taking up space,” Kershaw said. “I want to contribute and help the team.”

Kershaw strikes out from 3,000 212 career wins.

He is still determined to eventually retire on his terms rather than letting the situation determine his plans. His family, he said, “a huge motivational factor too.”

"If I go there and get shelled and I'm not going well anymore, that's one thing," Kershaw said. "If another batsman gets my best, that's one thing, but I'm not going to let it do it to myself."

Last year, he played only seven games before the end of August due to pain in his left toe. He watched from the field when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win their eighth World Series title.

Kershaw has been following his teammates on TV.

"It's a great team. There are 40 games and you can see a lot of things going well," he said. "I just want to be part of it."