Injury Roll Call: Kemp returns soon, Puig banged up, Crawford hobbled, Fife’s shoulder again

Matt Kemp is injured and on the disabled list yet again, as he’s suffering from irritation in the AC joint of his re-built left shoulder. Matt Kemp’s lost season took another bad turn on Monday, as the Dodgers center fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder AC joint inflammation. The move is retroactive to Saturday, one day after Kemp irritated the AC joint in his left shoulder during a swing in the second inning against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Dodgers activated Scott Van Slyke from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Kemp’s place on the roster. Van Slyke was optioned to Triple-A on Friday to make room for Crawford, and since this recall is within 10 days of that, Van Slyke gets credit for major league service time and salary as if he hadn’t been optioned on Friday. The Dodgers have used the disabled list 22 times this season, with 15 different players. Kemp is one of six players with at least two DL stints. Matt was examined by Dr. ElAttrache and had an MRI which confirmed the original diagnosis. Kemp had an MRI exam on his sore left shoulder and was examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed Friday’s diagnosis that Kemp had irritated the acromioclavicular (AC) joint where the collarbone meets the shoulder. ElAttrache said the injury is unrelated to the surgery he performed on Kemp last year to repair a torn labrum and a frayed rotator cuff. Manager Don Mattingly said he’s optimistic that Kemp, who received a cortisone injection Friday night, would be on the DL the minimum 15 days. “I think so,” Mattingly said. “But I don’t want to go out on a limb. I think 15 and he’ll be ready to go, but I didn’t think he would be disabled.” Mattingly initially said he didn’t think Kemp would need a rehab assignment, then backpedaled and said “possibly.” I would not be opposed to shutting Kemp down and aiming at a healthy – or whatever is close to it at this point – return in 2014. The team expects him to be back on July 21. The Dodgers expect Matt Kemp to return from the disabled list on the first day he is eligible on July 21, which would give manager Don Mattingly a crowded outfield, with four options for three spots. Seems like scar tissue. —– Yasiel Puig‘s injured left hip flared back up this week, forcing the young phenom to miss time and leave games early. Yasiel Puig left Thursday night’s game against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium after aggravating his left hip, eight days after running into the right field wall at Coors Field. Puig went 2-for-4 as the Dodgers beat the Rockies 6-1 on Thursday night, but left after the seventh inning in favor of Andre Ethier. Manager Don Mattingly said after the game, as shown on the Prime Ticket broadcast that Puig felt something when he hit the first base bag on his second hit, in the fourth inning. Mattingly said he didn’t think Puig’s injury was connected to his collision with the right field wall at Coors Field on July 3, and that Puig wouldn’t need more than a day off. Puig said after the game his hip wasn’t bothering him and that he’d get treatment on Saturday, per J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News. Puig had x-rays taken on his left leg in Denver, and they were negative. He was diagnoses with left thigh tightness and a bruised left hip. Since that collision, Puig has started every game since and has hit .270/.325/.297 (10-for-37) with 13 strikeouts and three walks. Mike Petriello has visual proof of the toll the injury has taken on Puig’s ability to run the bases, though he did enter Sunday’s game as a pinch-hitter and looked fine on the basepaths and chasing down a ball in right field. —– Right shoulder bursitis has felled Stephen Fife yet again, as the righty is back on the 15-day DL. Fife had a recurrence of right shoulder bursitis that put him on the DL in May. He said it surfaced Sunday but didn’t bother him during his Saturday start in San Francisco. Fife has gone 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA in eight starts. Mattingly said because of the All-Star break, Fife will miss only one start and will be eligible to return to start the fourth or fifth game after the break. “He’s another one that didn’t make sense to let him go farther,” said Mattingly. Fife said his shoulder didn’t bother him during his unlucky 4 1/3 inning start Saturday, but discomfort cropped up playing catch Sunday, and he was unable to throw his regular bullpen session Monday. “It’s not nearly as bad as last time,” said Fife, who was placed on the DL April 22 with the same diagnosis. “The doctor said it’s just inflammation of the bursa sac, everything else is clean.” —– Carl Crawford has been suffering from lower back stiffness and been out of the lineup the better part of the last week. The Dodgers got mixed news before their game against the Rockies on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Yasiel Puig, who aggravated his left hip on Thursday, is back in the starting lineup, in right field. But left fielder Carl Crawford, who was in the starting lineup Friday, was scratched with lower back stiffness. Crawford was activated from the disabled list a week ago Friday after he missed 30 games with a right hamstring strain. He is just 2-for-25 (.080) with two walks since his return and has seen his batting average plummet from .302 to .274. And so the injury bug bites Carl yet again. —– Josh Beckett needed to have a rib removed in order to treat his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Josh Beckett had surgery in Dallas on Wednesday to treat his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the Dodgers announced before their game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The procedure, which was performed by nerve specialist Dr. Greg Pearl, involved the removal of Beckett’s right first rib to relieve pressure on his nerves. Beckett will begin a rehabilitation program in five days and is expected to be ready to pitch in spring training 2014. Beckett was 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA in eight starts for the Dodgers in 2013, and last pitched on May 13. He was first placed on the disabled list with a groin injury and what Beckett termed “other stuff,” which caused tingling in his arm and hand. Once the groin injury healed, the tingling remained and Beckett was shut down for four weeks in June. He began a throwing program on June 26 but after feeling the tingling in his right hand return two days later Beckett was shut down again. After consulting with team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Pearl it was decided that Beckett would have the season-ending surgery. Beckett, 33, has one more year remaining on his contract, and will make $15.75 million in 2014. Ouch. Hopefully Beckett’s career doesn’t end like this regardless of whether it ends in Dodger Blue or not. —– Per Dylan Hernandez, Joc Pederson missed multiple games with a strained oblique. He was able to play in the MiLB Futures Game, so all seems well. —– Matt Magill was activated from the minor league DL. Right-handed pitcher Matt Magill was activated from the disabled list today, July 10, after being placed onto the DL retroactive to June 20. The Southern California native will start tonight for the Isotopes. As much as Magill struggled in his short stint in the bigs, he is important minor league depth as he’s next in line should anything happen long-term to Fife and Chris Capuano. —– In further minor- league injury news: Placed On 7-day DL: RHP Alan Garcia, RHP Blake Johnson, 2B Rusty Ryal, OF Devin Shines Reinstated From DL: RHP Pedro Baez, RHP James Campbell, RHP Alan Garcia, RHP Javy Guerra, C Dashenko Ricardo, OF Bobby Coyle The most important name of note for 2013 is Javy Guerra, who could make an impact in the pen at some point down the stretch. Also, seems like little reason to be concerned about Pedro Baez‘s stint on the DL. ===== Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke and find him contributing at Yahoo! Sports.