LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw finds himself in a familiar spot. For the 32nd time in his career, he¡¯s being handed the ball for a playoff start -- ¡°a full season now in the postseason,¡± as the veteran put it.

Kershaw was a 20-year-old rookie when he made his postseason debut, a scoreless 1 2/3-inning relief appearance against the Phillies in Game 2 of the 2008 National League Championship Series. At age 35, as he prepares for Game 1 of the NL Division Series tonight vs. the D-backs, he¡¯s not the same pitcher he was then.

Due to a combination of age and a now-lengthy history of injuries -- including a left shoulder issue that¡¯s still lingering -- his velocity has diminished, forcing him to adapt his approach (to quite a bit of success thus far).

His mental perspective has shifted substantially as well.

¡°I think at times maybe in the past, I had a fear of failure and didn't want to go out there and fail,¡± said Kershaw. ¡°I think now, it's just a lot more positive. It's just, the nerves are from an excitement to get to pitch in the playoffs, to get to be a part of it, to be in this moment that a lot of people in the game don't get to be in. I think that's where the nerves come from now. And I think that's a better place.¡±

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Kershaw has had his well-documented ups and downs in October. Whereas his 2.48 career regular-season ERA is the best among all AL/NL pitchers with at least 1,500 innings pitched in the Live Ball Era (since 1920), he has a 4.22 ERA in 194 postseason innings.

There have been plenty of highs, including the strong run he put together en route to the 2020 World Series championship, helping the Dodgers break a 32-year title drought. But it¡¯s the lows from which Kershaw has learned the most.

¡°I think when you get beat down enough, you start saying, ¡®Screw it,¡¯¡± Kershaw said. ¡°And I think that's kind of what happened over the years. ¡­ You've just got to go out there and play and pitch. It doesn't mean it's always going to go great. But I think the mindset can definitely help with that. Just comes with experience. And thankfully for me, I've gotten to do it a lot and gotten a little bit better at it over the years.¡±

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That experience has made for quite a legacy for Kershaw, whose extensive list of accolades have him in line for a likely first-ballot Hall of Fame election. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman called Kershaw ¡°the greatest competitor I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Manager Dave Roberts described him as ¡°the pillar of consistency, of compete, of success and professionalism,¡± and praised the influence he¡¯s had on the team¡¯s rookie pitchers through the example he sets.

Perhaps most importantly, Kershaw¡¯s presence instills confidence in his teammates.

¡°When No. 22 is on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, you feel good about it,¡± said Freddie Freeman.

The question at this point is just how many more times we¡¯ll see Kershaw on the mound, in a Dodgers uniform or otherwise. The left-hander isn¡¯t ready to share any kind of decision about his future, for 2024 or beyond, but he¡¯s mulled retirement for each of the past couple of years, giving reason to believe that this postseason could be a last hurrah for him.

If that¡¯s the case, Kershaw is hopeful he can set the tone for a deep run as the Dodgers¡¯ staff ace. But he¡¯s also trying to enjoy the moment. After all, being in this position wasn¡¯t a given for him -- and he¡¯s not taking it for granted.

¡°I think for the past however many years, to get to be in the postseason, I've become more grateful for it,¡± said Kershaw. ¡°And I think at the end of the day, I just look at some of the things that have happened and the things that I've gotten to be a part of -- and not all has been positive, obviously, but I wouldn't change it. I'd much rather fail on the biggest of stages than not to get to be here at all.

¡°It's a special thing to get to be in the postseason.¡±