Dodgers Blue Heaven: It's Opening Day at Dodger Stadium

Friday, April 04, 2014

It's Opening Day at Dodger Stadium - Matt Kemp has been Reinstated

What a wonderful day for some Dodger Baseball, and a perfect afternoon for Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. To usher in the morning, the first thing I saw when I turned on my computer at work and saw my news feed was the above photo. It was posted up by the Dodgers on tumblr. Thank you, guys!

The first Dodger news story of the day is that Matt Kemp has officially rejoined the team. He been reinstated. Outfielder Mike Baxter has been sent down to AAA. Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"I'm as ready as I can be, and [I'm] excited to get out and compete again," Kemp said. "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."

(Matt Kemp, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

The early word is that Kemp will not be in today's starting lineup; which has him fuming a bit. Via Eric Stephen on twitter:

Don Mattingly on Matt Kemp reacting to not being in lineup today: "I don't think he was too happy about it."
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) April 4, 2014

Alanna Rizzo adds on twitter:

Mattingly wants to get Kemp in the mix but doesn't want him to throw him into the fire. He'll likely get in the game in later innings.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) April 4, 2014

Then, Mattingly made an apt analogy, via Pedro Moura on twitter:

Mattingly compared Kemp's return to Dwyane Wade's for the Heat, where his minutes rose gradually: "I don't want to throw him into the fire."
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) April 4, 2014

The plan is to ease him into the regular starting job, so as to not put too much strain on him. Frankly, this is exactly what the Dodgers should do, regardless of what Kemp thinks. Sometimes, you just have to save the man from himself.

Below is the Dodgers starting lineup against the Giants.