Clayton Kershaw injury update after he was taken out of Altanta Braves game

Clayton Kershaw entered Sunday as the clear favorite to win the 2017 National League Cy Young Award. However, his status as favorite in that individual competition will be up the air until matters are clarified regarding the reason that he was pulled from Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Kershaw pitched two innings against the Braves and then without explanation was pinch hit for. With a record of 15-2, Dodger fans have to be feeling nervous as they wait for a news update.

Pulling reported as 'apparent injury'

MLB.com, in an article with no author listed, called the reason for Kershaw being taken out of the game an "apparent injury." What exactly is injured and the severity of it is a matter that is still not perfectly clear at the time of this writing.

The Dodgers entered the day with a .684 winning percentage and they may yet improve upon that with a win against the Braves. However, if Kershaw is injured badly then it will be the second injury to strike a top-rated team in less than a week. The Houston Astros were hit with injury not long ago and the injury was to a key player in Carlos Correa. Correa will miss two months according to his initial timeline for return.

However, like Houston, if there was a team that could afford some rehab time for a top player, it is the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have rolled over the competition for several weeks in the Major Leagues. As such, they entered Sunday with 10.5-game leads over both the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That Los Angeles have a comfortable lead in the standings will be of little comfort to the Los Angeles Dodgers' fan base. The news regarding Kershaw's injury will certainly take center stage in their minds. Even if LA remain strong favorites for the NL West title, Kershaw would be a central figure in any post-season success in early fall.

Initial reports sound minor

According to Kelli Tennant, the problem with Clayton Kershaw may be with his lower back. In a tweet, she used the word "tightness" to describe the area.

Tennant's Twitter profile describes her as a "Super utility tv host" and author. She tweeted Sunday afternoon at 2:18pm PT, not all that long after Kershaw was taken from the game against the Atlanta Braves. The injury does sound minor, and initial speculation would have to be that he was taken out as a precaution. However, the Dodgers' organization will certainly be updating the situation, if not during the game, then in the post-game interviews.