Braves outfielder Matt Kemp will travel with the team on the coming seven-game road trip and could begin a rehab assignment upon returning, according to Braves manager Brian Snitker.
Kemp was placed on the disabled list July 29 after leaving a game in Philadelphia with a right hamstring strain.
“He’s going to go with us on the trip so (Director of Player and Health Performance) Andrew (Hauser) can keep his hands on him and continue the running progression and base running, all that,” Snitker said. “He’s coming along. It’ll probably be when we’re off the trip when he’s actually ready to get back and activate him.”
A strain of the same hamstring put Kemp on the 10-day DL in April. He sat out a game June 16 with left hamstring soreness, then after pinch-hitting a day later, sat another five games.
Kemp was slashing .327/.364/.558 over 55 games before sitting in mid-June. He’s hitting .290 on the season with 14 homers and 48 RBIs, though his play had sizzled in the weeks leading to his latest DL stint.
The Braves will play three games in St. Louis this weekend before going to Colorado for four. Snitker said if Kemp progresses accordingly, he could begin his rehab assignment upon return.
“Yeah, we’ll talk about that down the road,” Snitker said. “He’ll probably go play a couple of games just because he will have been off for 2 1/2 weeks or more.”
The Braves acquired Kemp for Hector Olivera before the 2016 trade deadline. Kemp is signed through 2019 for $21.5 million annually. The Dodgers and Padres, his previous two employers, will pay a combined $6 million each year.
