The news about Clayton Kershaw didn’t seem good Thursday, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saying he didn’t think the veteran left-hander, sidelined all month with a left big toe injury, “would be viable for a few weeks.”

But the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner isn’t willing to give up his hopes of pitching in the playoffs if the Dodgers can make a deep run in October.

“I’m going to keep trying every day,” Kershaw, 36, said ahead of Thursday night’s series finale against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. “Maybe one day it will feel better. I’m just waiting for that day to happen.”

When asked again Thursday what was wrong with Kershaw, Roberts repeated his answer from Tuesday when he said, “It’s the toe…it’s the body,” Kershaw said the toe remains the main problem – “That’s the truth,” he said – but acknowledged that compensating for the pain in his take-off foot puts the rest of his body at risk.

“There’s only a percentage I can throw without other things bothering me because I’m throwing differently,” Kershaw said. “Every time my toe feels better, I feel confident that I will be fine. But then again, other things come up when I don’t throw normally. It’s no problem. There’s just a maximum percentage I can throw right now.”

Kershaw, who missed the first four months of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery in November, has completed several bullpen workouts over the past two weeks — one in which he threw about 80 pitches — but he hasn’t progressed to the point where he’s ready yet for is facing hitters.

“I feel like it’s progressing, but it’s obviously not as far along as I would have hoped or wanted,” Kershaw said. “There are small improvements, like waking up in the morning, the ability to put pressure on it, maybe. But it’s just not there yet.”

Roberts said Kershaw, who went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts after being activated in late July, will have to complete several bullpen workouts and face hitters before being eligible for the injury-plagued playoff rotation of the team.

“My arm, I’m holding it as best I can,” Kershaw said. “I really think when my toe gets better, I’ll be ready to pitch. I just have to get as close to 100% as possible so I can throw normally.”