It could have gone without saying but it had to be said – Clayton Kershaw will be the Dodgers Opening Day starter on April 6 against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

“That’s our plan,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told reporters on a rainy Monday morning at Camelback Ranch.

Seriously, who else would it have been, right? But why did Mattingly wait so long to tell the media?

“We were just waiting for you to ask,” kidded the Dodgers skipper.

As if there was ever a doubt, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly named Clayton Kershaw as his Opening Day starter. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The April 6 Opening Day start will be Kershaw’s fifth consecutive, just two shy of the Dodgers’ all-time record of seven held by Dodgers Hall of Famer Don Sutton (1972-1978). And with Kershaw entering only the second season of his seven-year/$215 million contract, there is virtually zero chance that Sutton’s record will survive beyond 2018 – barring the unthinkable, that is.

The last Dodger not named Clayton Kershaw to open a season was (are you ready for this) Vicente Padilla on Opening Day 2010. The often-criticized and highly-controversial Nicaraguan right-hander was pummeled in an 11–5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that set the tone for the entire season. The Dodgers finished fourth in the NL West with a record of 80-82 ahead of only the Arizona Diamondbacks. Of course the highly-publicized and constant distraction of the McCourt divorce did help matters either.

Vicente Padilla allowed seven runs on six hits (includig two home runs to Garrett Jones) in his Opening Day start against the Pirates on April 5, 2010. It was the last time anyone not named Kershaw made an Opening Day start for the Dodgers. (Photo credit – Gregory Shamus)

Although Kershaw won last year’s season opener against the Dbacks in Australia, he landed on the disabled list immediately thereafter with a strained teres minor muscle in his left shoulder. But even though that injury caused Kershaw to miss his next five scheduled starts, he won 20 of his next 26 starts en route to a historic 21-3 season that earned him both the 2014 NL Cy Young award and the 2014 NL MVP title.