Braves left fielder Matt Kemp is set to play one rehabilitation game at Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday before rejoining the big-league lineup.
Kemp has been out since suffering a right hamstring injury during a game at Pittsburgh on April 7. Kemp had said he didn’t need to play in rehabilitation games before being activated from the disabled list, but the Braves preferred that he test the leg in the minors first.
“They wanted me to go and get a little comfortable moving around a little bit playing a game out there,” Kemp said.
Kemp has run the bases over the past few days. On Tuesday he hit live balls before the team’s batting practice and then caught balls in the outfield while his teammates hit.
“Everything felt great,” he said.
Kemp suffered the injury while making a diving catch against the Pirates. He left the game after taking his turn at-bat in the next inning, and Braves placed him on the 10-day disabled list two days later.
Kemp was the most productive hitter in the lineup when he got hurt. The offense has surged lately, and the Braves won five games in a row entering the series against the Nationals on Tuesday.
“The team is playing really good right now, which is good,” Kemp said. “I just know how to handle these situations. It would be frustrating if it was later on down the road, but it’s April. It’s early. Keep these legs right and keep it moving for the rest of the season.”
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