Kemp likely headed for DL again.

Thanks to his refreshing honesty in an impromptu media scrum after Wednesday’s game, Matt Kemp didn’t leave Dodger fans with much guesswork regarding his latest injury. The remaining details will be revealed in an MRI scan on his left hamstring tomorrow.

Kemp re-aggravated the same injury that landed him on the 15-day disabled list earlier this month in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the first at-bat of the game, Kemp singled off Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo. Andre Ethier followed that up with an RBI double, sending Kemp all the way home from first base.

Kemp said he was “pretty much close to third base” when he felt pain “grab” the lower part of his left hamstring — the same area he hurt before going on the DL from May 14-29. In an act of frustration, Kemp slammed a baseball bat over his knee in the Dodgers’ dugout before leaving down the tunnel leading into the team clubhouse.

Asked directly if he expects to go on the disabled list, Kemp said, “I would think so. It feels worse than the first time.”

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly agreed.

“It looks like it’s a pretty good chance,” he said.
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Lilly to DL, will miss Tuesday’s start.

Ted Lilly was placed on the disabled list retroactive to May 24 with inflammation in his left shoulder Monday. The left-hander figures to miss at least two starts, including his next scheduled outing Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Michael Antonini was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Lilly’s spot on the active roster, but he will only pitch if the Dodgers need a long reliever tonight. Right-hander Nate Eovaldi is expected to be recalled from Double-A Chattanooga to make his first major-league start of the season Tuesday.

Eovaldi pitched only one inning out of the bullpen Saturday for the Lookouts, which served as the best hint that the Dodgers would need him on short notice.

“Since he’s not in the building,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said, “I shouldn’t be talking about tomorrow’s starter.”

Lilly said he first noticed pain in the shoulder after his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 18. The 36-year-old made his next start five days later against the Arizona Diamondbacks and was shelled for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Dodgers lost, 11-4.

“When I felt the most (pain) is when I came out of (that) game,” Lilly said.

The injury wasn’t serious enough to warrant an MRI, but Lilly said he had a non-steroidal cortisone injection after the team returned home.

In his second full season with the Dodgers, Lilly is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA –it was under 2.00 before his last start –and 31 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings this season. Lilly began the season on the disabled list with stiffness in his neck, but said this injury is unrelated.

“You get off to a good start and you have the expectations of trying to make the all-star team,” he said. “This definitely is going to make that a very difficult thing to do. I’m going to miss some time. I already missed one start early in the year. I don’t know what else I could’ve done differently to try and prevent it.”
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Injury updates on Hairston, Sellers, Ellis, Kemp, Rivera, Uribe.

Dodgers head athletic trainer Sue Falsone had a busy day Thursday — a day off for the team, but hardly a day off for the trainer with a disabled list of eight players.

Justin Sellers became the latest addition as he took the place of Jerry Hairston Jr. on Friday. Hairston was in the starting lineup and Sellers was reduced to performing core exercises after an MRI Thursday revealed a slipped disc as well as a stress fracture in his lower back.

The injury is related to the head-over-heels catch Sellers made May 14 –but not entirely.

“He had what’s called a spondylolysis, or a stress fracture, back in high school,” Falsone said. “A lot of younger athletes have it. A lot of older athletes have it. It’s no big deal — a little stress fracture in the back.”

Falsone went on to explain that the stress fracture created an area of weakness that was exacerbated when Sellers tumbled into the stands. At first he reported back pain, then numbness down his right leg from the hip to the toe.

Both Sellers and Falsone were optimistic that he would only need the minimum 15 days on the disabled list, but “if it doesn’t get better, we might have to remove part of the disc,” Sellers said.

The infielder is hitting .205 with three doubles and a home run in a reserve role.

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Kershaw (2-0, 0.00 ERA) named NL Player of the Week.

Clayton Kershaw doesn’t have the longest consecutive scoreless innings streak by a Dodger pitcher this season. His National League Player of the Week award collected Monday is nothing new, either — it’s the third won by a Dodger in 2012 (Matt Kemp won it on back-to-back weeks to begin the season).

But things are going good right now for the Dodgers, and Kershaw joined the party last week. He went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 16 innings (the most thrown by any NL pitcher), with 10 strikeouts, three walks and 10 hits allowed.

Seven days ago, Kershaw tossed seven shutout innings, striking out six and allowing just four hits in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

On Saturday night, Kershaw outdueled St. Louis Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook in a 6-0 shutout at Dodger Stadium. He also doubled and scored a run in the Dodgers’ four-run seventh inning, which broke a 0-0 tie.

The left-hander currently ranks second in the National League with 61.2 innings pitched, and is third among qualifying pitchers with a 1.90 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. This is his second career weekly award, the other coming June 27, 2011.

Kershaw’s streak of 22 scoreless innings dates back to May 8 against the Giants and is 2.2 innings shorter than the season-high set by Chris Capuano.

In recognition of his award, Kershaw will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time.

The Dodgers visit the Diamondbacks tonight (6:40 p.m., Prime Ticket).

The latest on Kemp, Uribe, Herrera and Oeltjen.

An MRI on Matt Kemp‘s left hamstring revealed a strain, and the Dodgers center fielder is day-to-day. Tony Gwynn Jr. is starting in center field and Kemp was listed as available if the Dodgers need him to pinch hit. Kemp has played 399 consecutive games, the longest streak in the major leagues.

Kemp did not take part in pregame activities Monday — the team stretched and took batting practice without him — which only reduces the likelihood of his appearing in tonight’s game.

However, the Dodgers might need him.

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