NEW YORK — When Clayton Kershaw appeared on the FOX pregame show before Game 2 in Los Angeles and was asked if he would be returning to pitch in 2025, he didn’t think he was breaking any news when he said he did.

“I just thought everyone kind of assumed and knew I was coming back. I didn’t really think about it,” he said Tuesday at the Dodgers’ off-day workout at Citi Field.

Kershaw did make it clear he doesn’t plan to pitch for any other team.

“I’m going to be a Dodger,” he said.

How that plays out could take multiple routes. Kershaw’s contract includes a player option for 2025 that he could exercise, or the three-time Cy Young Award winner could decline it, become a free agent and re-sign with the Dodgers under different terms.

“I think I’ll just kind of talk to Andrew, try to figure all that stuff out,” Kershaw said of Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “Not exactly sure.”

Kershaw had shoulder surgery last November and did not return to pitch for the Dodgers until July. He made just seven starts before a toe injury ended his season.

“I think probably more than anything just having surgery last year, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to get the surgery and then only have seven starts,” Kershaw said Tuesday. “It just kind of feels like a waste. Might as well make use of the new shoulder and see how it goes. I just want to keep playing.”

The 36-year-old Kershaw said he and the team’s medical staff are “still deciding what to do” about his chronic toe issue, which involves bone spurs. Surgery — which could potentially delay the start of his 2025 season — is a possibility.

“It’s not, like, super clear-cut,” he said. “But I think we’re getting a pretty decent plan together in place. Whatever happens, it can wait until after this run here.”

Injury update

Roberts said second baseman Gavin Lux would be back in the starting lineup for Game 3 against Mets right-hander Luis Severino.

Lux left Game 1 early with right hip flexor tightness and did not play in Game 2 when the Mets started left-hander Sean Manaea. They will start another left-hander, Jose Quintana, in Game 4.

First baseman Freddie Freeman, meanwhile, remains “a day-to-day conversation,” Roberts said. But he expects him to be in the lineup for Game 3 after the off day Tuesday.

“I just don’t see any world that he doesn’t start a playoff game in the NLCS,” Roberts said.

Pitching plan

Roberts confirmed that right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 4 in New York for the Dodgers. Right-hander Jack Flaherty would be on normal rest for Game 5, but Roberts would not confirm him as the starter for that game.

“That will depend on the next couple of nights,” Roberts said.

GOLD GLOVES

Finalists for this year’s Gold Glove awards were announced Tuesday with two Dodgers among those named.

Will Smith is a finalist at catcher along with Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants and last year’s winner, Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Kiké Hernandez is a finalist for the utilityman honor along with Jared Triolo of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the first utility Gold Glove in the NL in 2022. Hernandez made at least nine appearances at six different positions (first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field and center field) and even pitched in four games.