On May 24 , 2008 , the Dodgers bought Kershaw 's minor @-@ league contract , and he was added to the active roster . Sportswriter Tony Jackson called Kershaw 's debut the most anticipated start by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo 's major league debut during the 1995 season . He made his debut on May 25 , starting against the St. Louis Cardinals . He struck out the first batter he faced , Skip Schumaker , the first of seven strikeouts in the game , in which he pitched six innings and allowed two runs . When he debuted , Kershaw was the youngest player in MLB , a title he held for one full year .