India, Sept. 19 -- The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Thursday that Clayton Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award winner and longtime face of the franchise, will retire at the end of this season.

Kershaw, 37, is scheduled to take the mound at Dodger Stadium on Friday night for his final regular-season start, facing the San Francisco Giants. It will close an extraordinary 18-year run in which the left-hander became one of baseball's greatest pitchers.

Since debuting on May 25, 2008, Kershaw has spent his entire career with the Dodgers, tying Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most seasons in team history. Along the way, he earned 11 All-Star selections, the 2014 National League MVP award, and helped secure World Series titles in 2020 an...