The Los Angeles Dodgers are shutting down outfielder Matt Kemp indefinitely after he felt tightness in one of his hamstrings on Friday afternoon.
Matt Kemp injury: Dodgers OF shut down indefinitely with hamstring tightness
The Dodgers’ slugger continues to have issues with his hamstrings, which sent him to the disabled list back in May.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor
Kemp has dealt with injuries all season long and has played in just 11 of the Dodgers’ last 88 games. The 28-year-old outfielder has not appeared in the big leagues since July 21 after spraining his left ankle. Kemp also missed 24 games in May and June after straining his right hamstring, as True Blue LA notes.
Fortunately for the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly, the club has no shortage of capable outfielders on the roster. Andre Ethier has done a solid job handling center field in Kemp's absence, while Carl Crawford and rookie sensation Yasiel Puig can cover a lot of ground in the corner positions.
With the Dodgers holding a comfortable lead in the National League West, there is no pressure to rush Kemp back this season. It would be one thing if he were crushing the ball while rehabbing in the minor leagues, but a recent 0-for-18 skid led some to wonder if the former All-Star was hiding an injury. Given how well Crawford, Ethier and Puig have played this season, it would be tough for Mattingly to get Kemp back into the lineup, even if he is 100 percent healthy.
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