The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated former National League MVP runner-up Matt Kemp from the disabled list and he will play his first game of the season tonight in the Dodgers home opener against the San Francisco Giants.
Kemp was originally going to start the season on the bench and be available as a pinch hitter in the game, however the latest incident with superstar in the making, Yasiel Puig has changed that plan. Puig will be benched for showing up to Dodger Stadium over half an hour after batting practice for the team had already begun at 10:30 this morning. The incident is the second time Puig has been benched for lateness in two years.
“He was upset,” manager Mattingly said before all the Puig turmoil. “I think he wanted to play.”
“It’s just a matter of getting Matt back into the mix and not throwing him into the fire,” Mattingly said. “This is a one-day thing. It’s not an everyday thing. I think our clubhouse is pretty solid. We’re here to win.”
Kemp played in only 73 games last season due to ankle, hip and shoulder injuries in what was a “cursed” year for the centre fielder. He hit .270/.328/.395 (105 OPS+) with six home runs and nine steals around the injuries in 2013, but his performance was MVP caliber in 2011 (172 OPS+) and 2012 (147 OPS+).
To make room for Kemp on the roster, the Dodgers optioned outfielder Mike Baxter to Triple-A.
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