There are no big steps with Clayton Kershaw these days, only small ones. He isn’t pitching for the Dodgers this week, or next week, or even putting a timeline on a minor league rehab assignment.

Kershaw is, however, throwing a baseball again for the first time since July 10, when a fateful bullpen session didn’t go as well as the Dodgers had hoped. The left-hander played catch from flat ground for the first time in nearly a month Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

The mildly herniated disc in Kershaw’s lower back has put his season in jeopardy. Sunday’s progress, however small, gave the Dodgers another reason to hope he’ll be pitching major league games in September:

Roberts went on to point out that, because there are no minor league games in September, Kershaw’s next game action will almost certainly come with the Dodgers.

“Any time he can get back, we’ll take him,” Roberts said. “There’s not going to be a rehab situation because there’s not going to be an opportunity. So when he gets back it’s going to be bullpens, and live BPs. Whenever he feels he’s ready to go, then we’ll pencil him in and get him going.”

Kershaw was 11-2 with a 1.79 earned-run average in 16 starts prior to his injury.