Matt Kemp leaves the field with athletic trainer Nancy Pattersonon Wednesday night after straining his right hamstring in a 4-3 loss to the Angels (Associated Press)

Matt Kemp will have an MRI on his aching right hamstring today, which could be the biggest news the Dodgers receive all month.

Or not.

The Dodgers are averaging more than four runs a game the past week, despite benching Kemp once, then dropping him to fifth in the batting order, and watching him go 3 for 21 (.143) while he was in the lineup. The Dodgers were able to tread water for about a month while Kemp recuperated from his hamstring strains in May and June of last year. It wasn’t until mid-June that the Dodgers went into a tailspin — and that was with a lineup featuring Dee Gordon, Tony Gwynn Jr., Elian Herrera and Bobby Abreu among others on a nightly basis. With Hanley Ramirez due to return soon, there’s reason for optimism even if Kemp does need time on the DL.

He probably won’t need much time, if any.

“It’s not as bad as last year, but when you feel it grabbing you got to take it easy and make sure you take care of it cause it can get worse,” Kemp told colleague Clay Fowler after the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Angels on Wednesday. “Probably about two years ago, I probably would have stayed in the game.”

Some more bullet points for a Canary Islands Day:

• Hank Aaron talks about Jackie Robinson, among other things, in an extended conversation with USA Today.

• A new mock draft has the Dodgers taking Philip Ervin in the first round.

• After 10 years in the minors, 31-year-old Ed Lucas is getting his chance in the majors. With the Marlins, of course.

• George Brett is the Kansas City Royals’ new hitting coach. Dodgers connection: Brett’s family owns the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate in the California League.

• Yesterday, the Cleveland Indians were listening to a song written and performed by one of their Triple-A pitchers as it piped through the clubhouse speakers. That can only mean one thing: Former UCLA/Hart HS star Trevor Bauer has a new rap out.