Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Tag: Matt Kemp (Page 4 of 15)

Matt Kemp’s bounce-back month: .905 OPS

Kemp 062914js396

Indians at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Miguel Rojas, SS
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

June has been kind to many Dodgers, but on the hitting side, particularly so to Matt Kemp.

Since his OPS fell to .719 on May 30, its lowest point since the second game of the season, Kemp has been OPSing .905 (.381 on-base percentage and .525 slugging percentage). He leads the Dodgers in total bases for the month of June with 51.

Has Kemp been a changed hitter? Maybe. On the other hand, remember when I wrote how Kemp had the best batting average on balls in play in Dodger history, but that early in 2014, it was abnormally low? Well, take a look at the following:

Matt Kemp BABIP, 2014
.167 April 4-17
.392 April 18-May 21
.000 May 22-May 30
.405 May 31-June 29

For the year, Kemp’s BABIP is .352 — which exactly matches his career average.

Though Kemp’s home run power is down, he is on pace for a career-high 39 doubles. And Kemp still leads the Dodgers in home runs in June with three. Here’s an odd fact: The Dodgers have more wins in June (17) than home runs in June (13).

Andre Ethier gets a breather

ST.LOUIS CARDINALS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERSFor more highlights from Thursday, check Jon SooHoo’s LA Photog Blog.

Cardinals at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Miguel Rojas, SS
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P

By Jon Weisman

Andre Ethier is getting a rest day even though the Dodgers are facing a right-handed pitcher.

“Just to give Dre a little bit of a break,” Dodger manager Don Mattingly said before the game. “He’s had some bumps and bruises. Just a day.”

Ethier has had a rough June, though he’s not alone among Dodger outfielders in slumping from his usual totals. Ethier has a .246 on-base percentage and .215 slugging percentage in 69 plate appearances, with one double and no home runs.

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Dodgers Top 40: The best plays of the first half

By Jon Weisman

How exciting a 2014 has it been for the Dodgers? I started out planning to pick out the top 10 plays of the first half of the season, then (after realizing that Dee Gordon could practically fill that quota by himself) saw that list balloon to 40.

So here, in all their glory (and in an unplanned tribute to Casey Kasem), are the biggest thrills of the first 81 games. Thanks to MLB.com for the videos, as well as pieces of text here and there.

Now, prepare to lose yourself …

* * *

March 30 at San Diego: Hyun-Jin Ryu fields a sharp comebacker and throws to home to start a double play and escape a bases-loaded jam in the first.
[mlbvideo id=”31715865″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

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Nearly no-hit, Dodgers show grit

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By Jon Weisman

There was great defense and timely hitting and shutdown pitching (oh, was there shutdown pitching). There were contributions from superstars and reserves and guys fresh off the disabled list and guys who have struggled to find consistency. There was  a jacked-up crowd urging their team on against the National League All-Star team’s most likely starting pitcher, doing nothing less than threatening to throw the sport’s latest no-hitter.

And in a taut two hours and 32 minutes, the Dodgers came through with a 1-0 victory over St. Louis, their first 1-0 victory of 2014, their second-shortest nine-inning game and easily one of the best edge-of-your seat games of the season.

So little scoring, so many moments …

  • Dee Gordon walks, and then St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright sets down the next 15 batters.
  • Josh Beckett gives up a first-inning and third-inning hit, but otherwise matches Wainwright zero for zero.
  • Miguel Rojas, after making slick plays at shortstop all night, breaks up Wainwright’s no-hitter with a line single to left to start the bottom of the sixth.
  • In the seventh, Gordon ranges far to his right, adjusts to a last minute bounce off the bag to field a seventh-inning grounder, and throws Yadier Molina out at first.

[mlbvideo id=”34074125″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

  • One batter later, after Allen Craig has doubled, John Jay singles to left and Matt Kemp shows what his arm can do in left field, nailing Craig at home. An exultant Beckett completes his seventh shutout inning of the night, lowering his 2014 ERA to a remarkable 2.11.
  • Brian Wilson pitches his most authoritative inning of the season, retiring the Cardinals in the eighth on 14 pitches, 12 for strikes.
  • Juan Uribe, in his first game in more than five weeks and looking rusty through two strikeouts, singles to start the bottom of the eighth.
  • Rojas, again. After a Drew Butera sacrifice, an infield single by the shortstop puts runners at the corner.
  • Justin Turner, sent to the bench by Uribe’s return, steps up as a pinch-hitter and lines an RBI single to left. Turner is now 6 for 15 (.400) as a pinch-hitter.
  • Matt Adams hits a bloop single in the ninth off Kenley Jansen, but pinch-runner Peter Bourjos is tagged out at second by an alert Rojas on a steal attempt.
  • Needing only seven pitches to finish his work, Jansen ends things on a Jhonny Peralta fly to center.

As much as you see Rojas’ name in these highlights, that’s how much of a presence off the bench he has become in only 20 days as a Dodger. What a treat to see someone seize the opportunity and challenge in front of him. No, he’s no big bat, but he’s doing everything you could ask.

So the Dodgers, who were 1-33 when tied or trailing after seven innings before Wednesday, have won two games in two nights that were tied in the eighth. And from the “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you” department: San Francisco lost to Cincinnati, 3-1. At the halfway point of the 2014 season, the Dodgers are within two games of first place in the NL West.

Don Mattingly on Matt Kemp: ‘We know it’s gonna get better’

Clayton Kershaw MLB&MTV2 Shoot
Clayton Kershaw appears on MTV’s “Off the Bat” tonight at 11 p.m.

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Drew Butera, C
Chone Figgins, 3B
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

For a Dodger team whose defense has been maligned much of 2014, Monday brought a welcome reversal.

Not only did Los Angeles benefit from two key errors by the Reds, leading to three unearned runs, but the Dodger defense was airtight in support of Hyun-Jin Ryu’s perfect game bid.

In particular, Juan Uribe’s understudy, Justin Turner, was sparkling at third, and Erisbel Arruebarrena was smooth at shortstop.

Speaking today, Don Mattingly said he didn’t feel that Monday’s game was unique, but that the defense has been coming together for the past few games. That continues to be a priority, even as the defense-first Arruebarrena returns to the bench to make way for Hanley Ramirez, back into the starting lineup following a four-game absence.

But the biggest discussion point on the team this week remains in the outfield. Matt Kemp took fly balls in left field in early workouts today, but still is on the bench. Mattingly, who said Kemp looked “really good” in that workout,  was grilled about Kemp’s fifth straight game on the sidelines.

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Hanley Ramirez could be out a while

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Saturday in Jon SooHoo can be found at the LA Photog Blog

Dodgers at Phillies, 10:35 a.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Erisbel Arruebarrena, SS
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

Don Mattingly told reporters in Philadelphia today that Hanley Ramirez’s lower calf injury is continuing to receive treatment but that an MRI could be in the future.

Mattingly said he didn’t want to speculate yet on whether Ramirez, who missed Friday’s game and was a late scratch Saturday, would go on the disabled list.

As for Matt Kemp, also out of the starting lineup for the third game in a row (but a pinch-hitter Saturday), Mattingly said he will be worked in left field as well as center. Mattingly said Kemp would participate and that it wouldn’t be an issue, and that Kemp remained a big part of the team, but that Mattingly likes Ethier’s routes in center field, even if Ethier isn’t a prototypical center fielder from a speed standpoint.

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Arrueready for Arruebarrena?

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS NEW YORK METS
Jon SooHoo was all over the Yasiel Puig catch Friday. Check out his photos at LA Photog Blog.

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXVII: Kershawue Detective
Dee Gordon, 2B
Chone Figgins, 3B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Erisbel Arruebarrena, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Erisbel Arruebarrena gets his first Major League start tonight, as Hanley Ramirez takes a day off.

Andre Ethier is starting in center field, and there are hints that we might see more of him out there, as concern over Matt Kemp’s defensive performance has become more explicit. From Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

“We continue to look at it and give Matt the opportunity to keep working and get better,” Mattingly said. “He doesn’t look the same. The burst, the outrun-the-ball thing. We’ve talked to Matt and don’t hear anything medically that he’s not feeling good. We just want to see the same burst. We don’t know if it’s a matter of him being out a few years. He’s trying, been working and we’ll continue to go from there.”

Four extra-base hits cleared Kemp’s head, contributing to all four Mets runs, one of them scoring because Kemp dropped a ball he picked up off the warning track.

“I just need to play better defense,” said Kemp. “Burst or anything, I’m not getting as good a jump as I need to. I cost us one run bobbling the ball, and it’s nobody’s fault but mine. No excuses. I’ve made a couple bad plays in the outfield. It happens.”

Either’s on-base percentage fell to .247 on April 24. Since then, in 62 plate appearances, he has a .419 on-base percentage and .455 slugging, with no home runs but six doubles and six walks. He has started 12 of the Dodgers’ 23 games in that stretch.

May 16 pregame: Gordon against the lefties

MIAMI MARLINS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Dee Gordon is making his fifth start of the season against a left-handed pitcher tonight, the 11th lefty to start against the Dodgers this season. Overall against southpaws in 2014, Gordon is 6 for 35 with no walks, for a .171 on-base percentage, .229 slugging and .400 OPS, shy even of his career .484 OPS against lefties.

Gordon is in the MLB bottom 10 for offense against lefties this season. The second baseman is, for what it’s worth, 3 for 9 lifetime against Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley.

One of the oddest platoon differentials in 2014 for the Dodgers comes from Matt Kemp, who is OPSing .996 against righties but is only 8 for 41 with a walk and no homers (.483 OPS) so far against lefties. For his career, Kemp is OPSing .956 against portsiders.

* * *

Juan Uribe is making his first start since May 8. Essentially, this is the first game the 22-20 Dodgers have had their full complement of position players available to start since A.J. Ellis’ last game before he went on the disabled list, April 5.

Uribe had two singles and a walk in his last 18 plate appearances before his injury, lowering his OPS from  .876 to .801. He doubled as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday.

Interview: Matt Kemp talks about playing his 1,000th game

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Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

This morning, we celebrated an anniversary. Tonight, we celebrate a milestone.

When he takes the field tonight, 4 1/2 months shy of his 30th birthday, Matt Kemp will be playing in his 1,000th Major League game.

Kemp was 21 when the Dodgers called him up on May 28, 2006, taking the roster spot of, oddly enough, relief pitcher Lance Carter. That night, the Dodgers started four rookies: Kemp, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and Willy Aybar.

Now, Kemp and Ethier (who is playing in his 1,180th game) are the club’s elder statesmen, as well as players moving up on the Dodgers’ list of all-time leaders.

Among those who have played at least 999 games with the Dodgers, Kemp is sixth all-time in adjusted OPS and the highest of anyone since No. 1 Pedro Guerrero. He trails only Guerrero, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Zack Wheat and Dixie Walker.

Kemp has 162 career home runs, one behind Raul Mondesi for 10th on the all-time Dodger homer list. Kemp has almost exactly the same number of stolen bases (165) and will enter the top 10 with 15 more. Kemp is the only player in history with at least 160 home runs and 160 stolen bases as a Dodger.

He’s also kicking it into gear, more and more. In 18 games since April 23, Kemp has a .371 on-base percentage and .523 slugging percentage, each higher than his career marks of .350 and .493.

Tonight, I talked to Kemp about playing in his 1,000th game. You read the interview below, but you can also enjoy listening to it as well in his own voice.

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Dodger Insider magazine — May edition (and a word to subscribers)

May 2014 magazine coverBy Jon Weisman

First, a word to Dodger Insider subscribers. I have recently heard that confirmation e-mails have said that it only takes two weeks to process a subscription order. The reality is that it normally takes four to six weeks  — that’s a timeframe common to the magazine industry, particularly for a monthly. In other words, if you ordered your subscription in late March or early April, your subscription would begin with the May issue, as was noted last month. (I’m having the wording on the confirmation e-mails adjusted.)

Also please note that these issues are timed to be printed for the first home game of the month. With the Dodgers not playing their first home game of May until tonight, that created the possibility of a later timetable for the May issue.

That being said, I still want to apologize for the tardiness of this month’s delivery. There was a timing issue that cost us about eight days in the delivery cycle. I understand your frustration, and I really do appreciate your patience. Believe me — no one is more eager than me to get every issue of Dodger Insider in your hands. But the issue is coming. And I have taken steps to make sure the June issue is delivered in as rapidly as possible.

If you have any subscription issues or questions, please call the magazine’s subscription fulfillment center at (877) 258-3062. If for some reason that doesn’t help, please leave a message in the comments section of this post. I am bookmarking it and will check it daily.

To order the magazine, either in print or digital form, you can visit our magazine page. And of course, it’s available for sale throughout Dodger Stadium.

* * *

Inside May 2014With that out of the way …

The May issue of Dodger Insider has several great features, including our cover story that examines in-depth the challenges Matt Kemp faced in coming back from his many serious injuries. Kemp, who before play Thursday had exactly 100 at-bats, a .250 batting average and .800 OPS, isn’t quite where he wants to be, but the power remains encouraging — and rather remarkable given all he’s been through.

Among the other news and feature stories are an interview with Dodger general manager Ned Colletti, analyses of defensive shifts and pitch counts (the latter by Mike Petriello of Dodgers Digest), a feature on 17-year-old pitching prodigy Julio Urias, a 40th-anniversary retrospective on the 1974 Dodgers — the winningest team in Los Angeles history — and much, much more.

As always, the magazine showcases the great photography of Jon SooHoo, Juan Ocampo and Jill Weisleder, and also has numerous fun games and challenges for kids ages 1 to immortal.

But the real treat of this month’s issue is “Dodgers Roadshow,” where Dodger team historian Mark Langill takes us through nearly a century of strange and wonderful Dodger memorabilia, most of which I expect you’ve never seen before much less imagined. It’s really fun stuff.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do, because there’s more to come in June and beyond.

Matt Kemp has the highest career BABIP in Dodger history — what does this mean?

DETROIT TIGERS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERSBy Jon Weisman

If it’s better to be lucky than good, it’s best to be both.

Matt Kemp has the interesting dichotomy so far this year of a .194 batting average with an .890 OPS, thanks to the fact that he has seven walks, three homers and two doubles but only one single in 38 plate appearances.

That compelled me to do some poking around, and among other things, I found that in the early going this young season, Kemp is both walking (18.4 percent of the time) and striking out (34.2 percent) at the highest rates of his career. Of his 38 plate appearances, he has only put the ball in play 15 times. (That’s 39 percent, compared with a 64 percent career rate entering this season.)

Of those 15 times, he has gotten only the aforementioned double doubles and single single, for a .200 batting average on balls in play.  That’s on the unlucky side. I remembered that early in his career, Kemp had high BABIP numbers — folks who followed such things were always wondering if his BABIP would hold up as he got older — so I decided to see when the decline happened.

It never did.

Going into this season, Kemp had a career BABIP of .352. (It has since dropped to .351.) I’m no super-expert on stats, but this struck me as extraordinary.  And, in fact, it’s tops in Dodger history.

Here’s a chart showing the best BABIP hitters since the team moved to Los Angeles:

BABIP Dodgers

Kemp is also near the top in the Majors over the past 10 years.

BABIP

If Derek Jeter’s presence on this chart is any indication, BABIP is not necessarily something that declines significantly in your 30s. (Jeter was at .364 in his 20s, .345 since.)  We’ll see, of course, in Kemp’s case. But I wouldn’t worry about that .194 batting average too much, or in any case, I’d be much happier about his returning power numbers than sad about the arguably temporary loss of singles.

Numbers from another planet

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By Jon Weisman

Some jottings before turning out the lights on the weekend, a most successful one for the Dodgers.

  • If someone had offered you a 9-4 start in a season that began with a cross-globe trip to Australia and was soon followed by injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Brian Wilson, I’m guessing you’d take that, right? Only surprising Milwaukee, winners of nine games in a row en route to a 10-2 record, has a better record in the Majors than the Dodgers.
  • The Dodgers’ offense roared this weekend in their three game sweep of Arizona, climaxing in today’s 8-6 victory (recapped here by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com), but it’s not that much of a surprise that the team would have an easier time scoring at Chase Field than Petco Park or even Dodger Stadium.
  • Similarly, Phoenix is going to be a tougher place to hold a lead, so don’t get too angry at the Dodger bullpen.
  • Not that I’m looking to take anything away from Adrian Gonzalez, who has an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games, one shy of a team record. Tied for the MLB lead in home runs at five until Mark Trumbo launched No. 6 today off Jamey Wright, Gonzalez is slugging .680 in 2014. Last year, Gonzalez hit his fifth home run in his 42nd start, May 25.
  • Tonight’s random trivia: The Dodgers have scored eight runs in two consecutive games. Only two seasons ago, they tallied exactly eight runs in three consecutive games.
  • Meet your MLB stolen base leader, Dee Gordon, with nine steals in 11 games. What a display he put on today. And in addition to his four steals, he also walked twice, raising his on-base percentage to .457, eighth in the Majors.
  • Also, this, from Jon SooHoo:
    LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
  • Meet your MLB co-leader in doubles, Juan Uribe, who has a .547 slugging percentage and a .358 OBP despite going the entire season to date without a walk. Yeah, I know — but don’t worry about it now.
  • You want to use a .154 batting average to judge Matt Kemp, be my guest. I’ll take the .829 OPS. After 31 plate appearances, Kemp has 14 total bases but has yet to hit a single.
  • Making his debut for Albuquerque today, Alex Guerrero had a three-run homer, double and single in four at-bats, as Christopher Jackson notes at Examiner.com.
  • One more note from the minors: Joc Pederson has a .511 on-base percentage and .714 slugging this season for the Isotopes. He has 13 hits, six of them for extra bases. But he has yet to drive in another runner. He has three RBI, each coming on a solo home run.
  • The Dodgers struck out 16 times today, tied for third-most in team history (the record of 20, you should recall, was set last year before Yasiel Puig hit his walkoff home run to beat Cincinnati, 1-0). Never before had the Dodgers struck out 16 times in a nine-inning game and won.
  • The Dodgers have now struck out 123 times in 13 games, or 9.46 times per game. a pace that would give them 1,533 strikeouts in their 162-game season. That would break the franchise record of 1,190 by more than 300. I guess I should be more worried about this, but I’m going to assume that it will taper off, unless you’re also willing to grant that all the superb offensive numbers will also stick.

Where are the Matt Kemp doubters tonight?

Kemp HRBy Jon Weisman

The tweets and comments you would see ridiculing Matt Kemp over the past year and a half were predictable, given the wave of negativity that can flourish online, but still plenty vexing.

Kemp would get torched for not being productive enough, regardless of how healthy he was. He would get torched for struggling to stay healthy at all.

His track record, seemingly, was worth nothing. The “What have you done for me lately?” gang never had it so good.

Tonight’s two home runs, two rousingly authoritative home runs in the Dodgers’ 6-2 romp over the Giants (recapped by Earl Bloom for MLB.com) don’t ensure that Kemp will regain his near-MVP form over the long haul. But it does put a spotlight on how silly it was for anyone to give up on him.

Kemp, who had played 399 consecutive games before the series of injuries began, could arguably be his own worst enemy — racing into walls, sliding awkwardly into home, trying to come back too soon. None of these plays spoke poorly of his desire or the fundamental talent he brings to the field.

As his comeback entered its most trying phase, over the winter when he couldn’t even run, the catcalls might have reached their peak. How frustrating it must have been for Kemp, to have to issue “Bull Durham”-esque “I’m just working” quotes for the most part because anytime he expressed a feeling about his true value, he risked being labeled selfish.

Maybe Kemp doesn’t want to sit on the bench. Maybe he doesn’t express that feeling well 100 percent of the time. Should that, or the injuries, have meant that he should be tossed aside like garbage?

Kemp had earned some rope, some patience, some faith, more than some people were willing to give him.

It was just one game of two homers tonight. It was just one series with 10 total bases, a walk and a 1.242 OPS. No one knows how many games he will play this year. But I bet more than a few people who doubted him are thinking twice now.

* * *

Tonight’s game generated one prize-winning bit of trivia. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Dodgers had their most hits since at least 1900 without a single. The Dodgers had three doubles and four homers, evaporating their previous record of three doubles and two homers on June 25, 2002 in a 4-0 win over the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

Not only that, the Dodgers struck out no fewer than 16 batters — half by Zack Greinke, the last four of them on a called third strike.

Chris Withrow added three more while nearly tying a record himself, using only 10 pitches to strike out the side. And how about Withrow this season? For a guy who was considered likely to start 2014 in the minors, allowing a single and a walk to the 17 batters he has faced while striking out eight looks pretty good.

Kenley Jansen also struck out the side in wrapping up the victory.

* * *

Yasiel Puig is day to day with a strained thumb ligament, according to MLB.com.

April 4 pregame: Happy Home Opening Day

Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P

By Jon Weisman

Though Matt Kemp has been activated, he is not in today’s starting lineup. As SportsNet LA’s Allanna Rizzo notes on Twitter, Don Mattingly said that he hopes to ease Kemp into action in the later innings today and that Kemp would likely start on Saturday. Mike Baxter has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Dodgers have brought out the same starting eight position players in the same batting order for the fourth consecutive game, the first time the team has done this since they put out this group for five consecutive games, from May 12-16, 2009:

Juan Pierre, LF
Rafael Furcal, SS
Orlando Hudson, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Russell Martin, C
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Casey Blake, 3B

In other notes, Hyun-Jin Ryu will “join Van Lingle Mungo (1937) and Don Drysdale (1965) as the only Dodgers pitchers to start in three of the first six games since 1914,” according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.

Update: Matt Kemp will start and bat second after all, playing center field in place of Yasiel Puig, who was scratched after showing up late today. Andre Ethier will play right field.

Matt Kemp, ready to rock

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By Jon Weisman

The Bison’s back in town.

According to the Dodgers’ PR department, Matt Kemp is expected to be reinstated from the disabled list prior to today’s game (though not in today’s starting lineup),” looking to make a fresh start after a series of injuries derailed most of his past two seasons.

“I’m as ready as I can be, and (I’m) excited to get out and compete again,” Kemp told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “I’ve done all the practicing I can do, I’ve done the rehab. I’ve busted my butt and now I hope all the work has paid off.”

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS SAN DIEGO PADRES

Photos by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Coming off a near-MVP season in 2011, Kemp had a monstrous .446 on-base percentage and .726 slugging percentage and had played in 399 consecutive games, making a strong case as the best player in the game (watch the video above to refresh your memory of his prowess), when he went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

He has been beset by injuries to his hamstring, shoulder and ankle since then, lowering his production to a .330 OBP and .430 slugging in 145 games. That’s mostly due to the first three months of the 2013 season, the first three months he played after labrum surgery, when he had a .309 OBP and .355 slugging in 57 games. When he was able to get in the lineup in the second half of the season, he went 18 for 54 with four homers, a .400 OBP and .630 slugging.

Even in the post-injury portion of 2012, Kemp had a .332 OBP and .462 slugging with 11 homers in 72 games, production that most players would settle for.

[mlbvideo id=”27237653″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]

How well Kemp will perform at the outset of his return is impossible to know, though isn’t that really true of any player? In any case, the time to find out, as Gurnick reports, is now.

Manager Don Mattingly said the club has rejected the thought of further Minor League rehab action for Kemp, even if it means the team must bite the bullet and let him work through the rust.

“Physically, in his mind, Matt feels he’s ready,” Mattingly said. “He’s said he’s not afraid to do all the things he has to do. In a sense, we can only trust him. He’s been honest with us. He doesn’t want to get embarrassed. He wants to do well.”

Kemp understands the skepticism.

“I just want them to have faith in me and trust what I say,” he said. “I’m ready. I told them at the beginning of Spring Training, ‘If I’m not ready, I’m not going out there.’ I’m telling the truth if I say I can compete with those guys. I have no doubt at all. I’ve had good years. Everybody has their own opinion, but I know the type of player I am capable of being. Everybody has doubters, but I don’t let that affect me.

“Honestly, my legs are in great shape. I’ve done all the tests, but you can never simulate Major League game situations. I’ve gone first to third, I’ve been sliding, I definitely can do that. It’s all cool. My shoulder feels great, that’s the least of my concerns. The focus on that is over.”

If you argue that it’s too optimistic to expect a return to his 2011 form, it’s also too pessimistic to assume Kemp can’t surpass his 2013 performance. There’s no doubt about the effort Kemp has put into a long and excruciating rehab, or his desire to be as good as he ever was. It’s hard not to be eager to see what happens.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS HOUSTON ASTROS

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