Dodgers' Kershaw scratched, Greinke to start Friday vs. Angels

Clayton Kershaw won't be starting Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ace was scratched for the second time this week and will be replaced by Zack Greinke.

Kershaw, who's been bothered by a sore hip, will instead start Saturday.

"I'm good. I'm pitching tomorrow," he told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Manager Don Mattingly said the move was precautionary.

"As much as anything, just making sure everything is good. He threw yesterday before his event and he felt good, but we wanted to make sure with an extra day," Mattingly told reporters. "He probably could've (pitched today). With the throwing program, we wanted to give him a chance to throw and feel good."

Kershaw's in the midst of another fine season. He owns a 2.51 ERA in 140 innings pitched, allowing just 105 hits while leading the majors in strikeouts with 185.

"My hip is really sore right now ... it flared up. I don't know why," Kershaw told reporters prior to Wednesday's cancelled start.

The Dodgers are hardly downgrading with the switch, as Greinke currently owns the best ERA in all of baseball at 1.37 and has allowed just 91 hits in 138 1/3 innings pitched this season.