KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It is a measure of the frequency of Clayton Kershaw’s back problems that he can compare the relative effectiveness of epidural injections.

After a flare-up in May, Kershaw did not get the immediate relief that the Dodgers were hoping for from that epidural. He wound up missing more than a month.

When Kershaw’s back pain returned during his start in San Francisco on Aug. 4, he received another epidural the next day. This one has given Kershaw the relief that he sought and he began a throwing program before the team traveled to Kansas City on Thursday.

“It’s doing better. It’s doing a lot better than I thought it would. So that’s good,” said Kershaw, who threw in the outfield at Kauffman Stadium on Friday afternoon as well.

“I didn’t really know what to expect. After getting the epidural, it’s really starting to feel better the last three, four, five days which is awesome. Yeah, it’s bouncing back better.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw’s demeanor the past few days has made him optimistic about the left-hander’s recovery. Barring a setback, Roberts estimated Kershaw could be throwing off a mound in “give or take, five to seven days.”

“Clayton is sort of an easy book to read, in some senses,” Roberts said. “Where he’s talkative and – I’ve used the word ‘jovial’ – then I think that’s a good thing.

“After catch play, he felt good. We had a good conversation. So I think the plan is just continue to progress through that, lengthen out each day until we get to the point that he can get off a mound.”

Kershaw wouldn’t offer a timeline on how soon he thinks he can return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation but said there will be “plenty of time” for him to build up and be back to full strength before the postseason.

“Look – at the end of the day, I know what I need to do to get ready for October,” Kershaw said, declining to say how many starts he would like to make before the postseason. “I definitely feel I’ll have enough time to accomplish all of that. Which is great. It’s no fun not playing obviously. But I feel we’re in a great spot to be able to build up and work on things and be ready for October.”

Roberts said any initial concern about the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s latest back injury impacting the postseason has been put aside now.

“I think that once the injury happened, we didn’t know what to expect,” Roberts said. “But after the tests, and how he responded after the shot, we’re really encouraged that it’s not going to affect the postseason.

“Now, the question is, how do we get there? Obviously, Clayton and the training staff will drive that.”

FAMILY EMERGENCY

Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes left the team Friday and was placed on the family emergency list. Barnes will miss at least three games and up to seven.

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In his absence, the Dodgers promoted Tony Wolters from Triple-A Oklahoma City. A veteran backup with the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs the past six seasons, the 30-year-old Wolters hit .216 in 50 games with OKC this season.

In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Wolters, the Dodgers designated infielder Rylan Bannon for assignment. Bannon was claimed on waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday and assigned to OKC.

ALSO

Two days after taking a bad-hop grounder off his right hand, Max Muncy still had a visible bruise on the palm of his hand. But Muncy was able to swing a bat and Roberts opted to start him at DH on Friday. Muncy will be back at third base on Saturday, Roberts said.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP Andrew Heaney, 1-0, 0.64 ERA) at Royals (RHP Brad Keller, 6-12, 4.45 ERA), Saturday, 4:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM