The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Matt Kemp did not start Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and was listed as day to day after an MRI exam confirmed he has a strained left hamstring.
Kemp was in uniform in the Dodgers dugout during the game, but was absent from the locker area of the Dodger Stadium clubhouse before the game when the media was allowed access.
Team medical officials met with manager Don Mattingly and other Dodgers personnel before the game to discuss the outlook for Kemp’s injury.
The center fielder initially pulled the hamstring several days ago in Chicago but kept playing last week, and he irritated the injury while running out a grounder Sunday.
There was speculation that Kemp might be placed on the disabled list, but Kemp said Sunday that he did not believe that was necessary.
Asked if the Dodgers had ruled out the disabled list for Kemp, Mattingly replied, “No,” adding that “I want to do the right thing for Matt, that’s for sure, and for our club.”
Kemp was baseball’s hottest hitter in April, batting .417 and slugging 12 home runs. But in May he has batted .212 with no homers.
Kemp had appeared in 399 consecutive games, highest among active players.
Third baseman Juan Uribe was placed on the 15-day disabled list after his sore left wrist worsened. Adam Kennedy started Monday’s game in Uribe’s place.
At the same time, the Dodgers purchased the contract of utility player Elian Herrera from triple-A Albuquerque.
Uribe, 33, was batting .250 in 25 games with one home run and 10 runs batted in. His sore wrist first came to light nearly a month ago when the Dodgers were in Milwaukee playing the Brewers.
“It sounds like that within the next 24 hours they’re going to be getting an MRI (exam) on this wrist and get more information and go from there,” Mattingly said.
“Hopefully it’s something that’s not major and it is two weeks (on the DL) and he’s back out there, because he’s played well for us,” Mattingly said. “He’s swung the bat well, he’s played good third base, we’re a better lineup when he’s out there.”
The switch-hitting Herrera can play several positions, and he was batting .358 for Albuquerque with two home runs and 14 RBIs.
“He’s played center field, he’s played right, he’s played left, he’s played second, short, third and it sounds like he’s been good everywhere,” Mattingly said.
To make room for Herrera on the team’s 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated outfielder Trent Oeltjen for assignment.
That typically means Oeltjen would be put on waivers and, if he goes unclaimed, the Dodgers would have 10 days to decide whether to trade him, send him to the minors or release him.