We still remember the emotional farewells—Derek Jeter in 2014, David Ortiz in 2016, soaking in thunderous ovations and heartfelt applause in what would be their final All-Star Game appearances. Though most players don’t officially announce their retirement at the Midsummer Classic, the event has often become an unofficial curtain call. A place for the game to collectively say thank you! This year, all eyes are on Clayton Kershaw.

Wearing the iconic Dodgers No. 22, the veteran left-hander took the mound in the All-Star Game and faced just two hitters in the top of the second before manager Dave Roberts pulled him. That triggered a standing ovation from the crowd, an unmistakable echo of those past goodbyes.

Naturally, rumors of Kershaw retiring have begun to swell. Yet amid the speculation and tributes, one mic’d-up moment stole the spotlight. A brief, lighthearted jab by Kershaw towards the Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has gone viral. In a game meant to celebrate the best, it was this unscripted interaction that gave fans something deeper to reflect on.

Well, during his All-Star Game appearance, Kershaw was mic’d up in the dugout, and as he walked through the dugout, high-fiving his NL teammates, he twice shouted, “Suck it, Big Dumper,” before heading down the tunnel. Well, obviously, the jab was aimed at Cal Raleigh, who leads the league in homers and just won the Home Run Derby the night before.

In the All-Star game, Kershaw got Raleigh for the first out of the inning. This was Kershaw’s first opportunity to take on the home run leader this season, as the Dodgers and the Mariners have yet to face each other. The result as they faced? A cool strikeout! Taking out the home run leader of the league clearly meant a lot to Kershaw, and he went no-holds-barred afterwards.

Kershaw was at his typical best in the game. Apart from striking out Raleigh, he took out Vladimir Guerrero. And that too within six pitches. Taking out the two leading sluggers in six pitches reflects the relevance of the 37-year-old in the Dodgers’ dugout. Should LA let the veteran go after this season? Well, maybe not!

Nevertheless, rumors of his retirement continue to spiral more and more.

Is Clayton Kershaw retiring?

Since Clayton Kershaw was chosen as a legacy pick by commissioner Rob Manfred for the 2025 All-Star game, it is widely believed that he likely made his final MLB All-Star appearance Tuesday night in Atlanta. This added up with how the NL players rounded up to congratulate Kershaw after his pitch, and the stands gave him a standing ovation.

Notably, the Dodgers ace signed a one-year deal before this season, and he’s planning to decide on retirement once the year wraps up. “But I don’t know what is going to happen in the future,” Kershaw said in an interview with Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

Kershaw admitted he’s still unsure about what he’ll do next. While there’s definitely a case to be made that he still has some gas left in the tank, his ongoing injury issues might push him toward calling it a career. However, Kershaw’s retirement would still be a costly affair for the Dodgers.

Considering how the starting rotation looks for the team post-Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki’s injury, the Dodgers can’t afford to let Kershaw go.

Note: Dodgers’ ERA currently ranked 23rd in the league (4.29).

At 37, Kershaw has taken the mound for 10 starts and put up a respectable 3.38 ERA, still outpitching much of the Dodgers’ rotation. Realistically, the team’s needs could be the deciding factor in whether he sticks around for another season. If not for that, this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta might well have been the last time we saw Kershaw on that grand stage.