Depleted Dodgers showing grit

Clayton Kershaw has had the Dodgers on his back this season -- and now that back is aching.

The Dodger southpaw (11-2, 1.79 ERA) could very well be the best pitcher in the major leagues, but for the moment he is on the disabled list with a balky back and may not return to the mound in 2016.

Despite Kershaw being on the shelf, the Dodgers have pulled to within three games of the reeling San Francisco Giants, who have tumbled out of the gates since the All Star break. The Giants have lost seven of eight games since the break and have to feel the Dodgers breathing down their necks.

Los Angeles, with a slew of pitchers on the DL, have made a post All Star break run behind the hot bats of Cory Seager (.406), Justin Turner (.390) and Howie Kendrick (.400).

Turner has completed his recovery from microfracture surgery in the off-season and Seager is a viable candidate for Rookie of the Year. Kendrick just keeps making contact.

Toss in a resurgence from the ageless Chase Utley and the warming up of Adrian Gonzalez' bat and the Dodgers offense has led the National League in hitting since the break with a .285 team batting average while scoring a league-leading 53 runs.

The bullpen has been strong behind a starting rotation consisting of Kenta Maeda (9-7), Scott Kazmir (9-3), recently acquired Bud Norris (2-2) and recently activated Brandon McCarthy (2-0). Adam Liberatore, Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez and closer Kenley Jansen have transformed the once-generous LA pen into a group of bonafide stoppers.

Rookies Jose Urias (1-2) and Scott Stripling (2-3) have had spot starts as the Dodgers have tried to fill the gaps created by injuries to Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brett Anderson and McCarthy.

The Dodgers went 5-4 on their most recent road trip, winning back-to-back series against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals, a pair of playoff-class teams after dropping a series to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The real question for the Dodgers approaching the trading deadline is whether the deep pocket management will bring in another premium arm for the second half of the season or hope Kershaw can make a recovery and anchor the rotation for the rest of the season.