Familiar sight: Matt Kemp homers in spring return as Dodger

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Been here, done this.

Wearing a Dodgers uniform in a game for the first time since the 2014 National League Division Series, Matt Kemp went 2 for 2 with a three-run home run that evoked memories of a bygone era – the 2006 through 2014 seasons when Kemp hit 182 regular-season home runs for the Dodgers.

“Oh, heck yeah. The fans standing up? That was pretty cool, for sure,” Kemp said of being cheered by Dodgers fans again.

“It was exciting to me. Here, the fans like to come to spring training so the games are always exciting. I got a pretty warm welcome. It’s better than the Dodgers fans booing me when I was on the other side. It was exciting.”

If Friday’s homer had a little more significance than your average Cactus League homer, everything Kemp does this spring will be watched more closely. The Dodgers’ efforts to move his contract were unsuccessful during the offseason but have not ended. How he plays this spring could give those efforts a boost – or put Kemp more clearly in the Dodgers’ plans for this season.

“I don’t know. You tell me,” Kemp joked when asked if he felt more eyes following him this spring.

“Of course. I think that’s obvious. I mean, it is what it is. I played in L.A. for a pretty long time so I’ve always had eyes on me.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will have his eyes on Kemp. But he admitted he is more interested in seeing what Kemp looks like in left field than at the plate.

“We haven’t seen Matt in a few years,” Roberts said. “So for us to see him and see how his body is moving … it’s really not in the batter’s box. He’s been very productive throughout his career (offensively). Obviously there are good seasons and there are not so good seasons but in the batter’s box he’s been pretty consistent with production. The dropoff has been defensively. I think that’s something Matt’s very clear on and for us to keep an eye on.”

Slimmed down by 40 pounds since last season, Kemp wasn’t tested defensively in Friday’s game – “Hey, I caught my first ball today so I’m doing good,” he joked. But all indications are he has accepted the challenge to reverse his defensive regression.

“Being in shape and feeling good is going to make playing defense easier,” Kemp said. “Hit and play defense. That’s going to win games.”

PUIG’S HIP

Roberts said Yasiel Puig was originally in the lineup for Friday’s Cactus League opener but was scratched due to a sore hip. Roberts said the issue was not serious and blamed Puig’s new cleats for causing the problem.

“He had a different pair of shoes that he’s breaking in,” Roberts said. “He didn’t put his orthotics in.”

Puig did go through the Dodgers’ full workout Friday and Roberts said he will start one of the team’s split-squad games Saturday.

TV GUIDE

The Dodgers and KTLA have once again reached agreement to simulcast some early regular-season games on SportsNet LA and KTLA5.

Five games (including SportsNet LA’s pre-game show) will be simulcast during the first month of the regular season – Friday March 30 against the San Francisco Giants, Saturday April 7 also against the Giants, Friday April 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday April 21 against the Washington Nationals and Saturday April 28 from San Francisco.

The release announcing the simulcast agreement also included this statement on the status of the ongoing distribution issues that have limited access to Dodgers broadcasts – “SportsNet LA and Dodgers games are exclusively available on Charter’s Spectrum service and other distributors are not expected to carry SportsNet LA this season.”

WAIVER WIRE

The Dodgers claimed right-hander J.T. Chargois off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Chargois, 27, made 25 relief appearances for the Twins in 2016, going 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA. Originally a second-round pick out of Rice University in 2012, Chargois had Tommy John surgery in 2013 and missed nearly all of last season due to a stress reaction in his elbow.

In order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Chargois, left-hander Julio Urias was placed on the 60-day DL. Urias is recovering from shoulder surgery and won’t be available to pitch until late in the season.

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