Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson can’t relate exactly to what Clayton Kershaw is going through right now, but their situations are similar.

Kershaw will attempt to start tomorrow against the San Francisco Giants, five days after leaving the Dodgers to mourn the death of his father. He’s been on the bereavement list in the meantime.

Hanson was activated from the bereavement list Monday, seven days after leaving the team following the death of his stepbrother in Georgia. Similar to Kershaw, Hanson started a road game in the Bay Area against a division rival, the Oakland A’s. He pitched well, too, allowing five hits, two runs, one walk and striking out six batters in six innings.

Although he didn’t factor into the decision, Hanson turned in one of his best starts of the year. It wasn’t easy.

“For me it was tough,” he said. “There were a lot of emotions, worrying about my family. My family looks up to me to be the rock in my family.

“A lot of emotions, but I wanted to get back to normalcy.”

He described pitching as a “release” from the gravity of his personal life, but it came with some pressure too.

“It’s an event for my family and my friends,” Hanson said. “They watch. It was big for my family, not just me.”

Kershaw usually rises to the occasion of pressure, too. The Dodgers can hope their ace reacts just as well as Hanson.