Dodgers activate Matt Kemp from disabled list

Matt Kemp will return to the Dodgers' lineup on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. [AP]

The Dodgers activated Matt Kemp from the disabled list and he will be in the lineup on Sunday afternoon, reports the LA Times' Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers optioned outfielder Scott Van Slyke to the minors to make room for Kemp. Kemp, who has been sidelined since July 6 because of irritation in his surgically repaired left shoulder, returns from his second DL stint this season.

Kemp homered twice off of starter Ted Lilly in a simulated game, and the medical staff determined that he was ready to be activated from the disabled list. Kemp, who signed an eight-year, $160 million contract in November 2011, has been hampered by injuries in both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The Dodgers' star centerfielder finished second in MVP voting in 2011 but has largely disappointed this season. In 61 games, Kemp has only four home runs and a slash line of .254/.309/.357.