Kemp To Begin Rehab Assignment Saturday

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Hanley Ramirez accidentally spilled the beans on Matt Kemp’s rehab. If you have been wondering when the hell Kemp was going to be coming back, Hanley has the answer for you. There is it, in Hanley’s own words, or should I say tweet.

Bison will begin a rehabilitation assignment on Saturday, (which is this afternoon of course) in Albuquerque playing for the Isotopes at Isotope Park. Dodger center fielder and team captain Matt Kemp has not played since May 29. He has been on the disabled list battling another strained hamstring, he suffered while running down a base hit in the outfield during the last series in Anaheim about a month ago. This is not the same hamstring that Kemp strained last year, but the other one. Last season Kemp missed 56 games due to his strained right hamstring.

Matt Kemp is slowly working his way back-Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Kemp has had a terrible season. Kemp has struggled all season long after recovering from off-season shoulder surgery last offseason. Kemp’s shoulder labrum was torn last August after his death-defying crash into the Coors Field wall, while he was chasing down a fly ball in a game against Colorado. Kemp had shoulder surgery last October to repair a torn labrum.

Most players that suffer a major shoulder surgery will tell you that it takes a long time to recover your power stroke, and Kemp has struggled the entire season trying to regain his stroke, and has only hit two home runs this season. Kemp was not allowed to lift weights, nor pick up a bat, all throughout last winter. Kemp didn’t even pick up a bat until end of January, and didn’t start lifting weights again until a few weeks ago.

Kemp has played in 51 games in 2013, and is batting .251 with a .305 OBP, two home runs, and 17 RBI in 210 plate appearances. Kemp has walked 14 times and whiffed 60 this year. Kemp is hitting just.155 (8 for 52) with runners in scoring position in 2013.

The Dodgers are looking for Kemp to play in anywhere from 4-5 minor league rehab games before he rejoins the team. Kemp could possibly rejoin the team sometime on the next home-stand.