Matt Kemp wants to play every day

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Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a crowded outfield, and if that gets in the way of Matt Kemp playing every day he would be open to a trade.

The outfielder's agent, former major league pitcher Dave Stewart, said that Kemp wants to be an everyday center fielder and if the Dodgers cannot make that happen, Kemp would be open to a trade, according to a report from FoxSports.com.

"Whatever they want to do we're favorable to, as long as it gives him an opportunity to play every day," Stewart told FoxSports.com. "He'd like to eventually go back to center field. He's not opposed to right or left. But his hope at some point is to get back to center."

The Dodgers removed Kemp from center field for defensive reasons at the end of May. Carl Crawford injured his left ankle on May 28, and Kemp has been the everyday left fielder ever since. Kemp is batting .269 with eight home runs and 35 RBI this season.

Crawford returned from the disabled list last Thursday, and again, the Dodgers have five healthy outfielders -- Crawford, Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke. Ethier and Van Slyke have started the majority of games in center field.

After Crawford was activated, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said there are no plans to use either Crawford or Kemp in center.

The crowded outfield has been an issue since early in spring training, when Kemp declared, "I'm not a fourth outfielder. We can cut that off right there. I won't accept that role."

Kemp still has $107 million remaining on his contract from 2015 to 2019. He does not have a no-trade clause in his deal.

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