Matt Kemp returns to Dodgers’ lineup, but is Blake DeWitt now a platoon player at second?

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Matt Kemp returned to the lineup Wednesday and Andre Ethier was given the day off as scheduled, despite Manny Ramirez being out with his sore hamstring.

And yet was the biggest lineup news that Blake DeWitt was on the bench again? On the bench for the fifth time in seven games?

Manager Joe Torre has apparently gone to an unannounced platoon at second, sitting the left-handed-hitting DeWitt against left-handed starting pitchers.

DeWitt was on the bench Wednesday against left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, just as he was Monday against left-hander Barry Zito. Just as he was against Yankees left-handers Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia last weekend.

This happened occasionally earlier in the season, but now seems a regular lineup feature.

It isn’t like DeWitt is hitting much worse against lefties (.250) than righties (.265). The only significant difference in any of his stats is he’s hitting .340 in day games and .234 at night. And Wednesday is a day game.

Although his defense at second has continued to improve -- he’s a converted third baseman -- at the plate, he’s been flat all season. No serious slumps, but no specific signs of improvement.

Overall, DeWitt is batting .263 with one home run, 24 RBI and 21 runs.

Jamey Carroll, meanwhile, is batting .287 and has scored four more runs in almost 30 fewer at-bats. Carroll started at third for Casey Blake Wednesday, while the right-handed Ronnie Belliard started at second.
Torre clearly wants more out of second base, and the platoon could signal trouble for DeWitt’s immediate future, particularly if Carroll continues to perform.

[Updated at 12:50 p.m. Wednesday: Torre said during his pregame media meeting that it hasn’t been decided whether to place Ramirez on the disabled list. He is scheduled to have an MRI Thursday during the team’s off-day in Phoenix.

‘We’re going to have to do whatever the conservative thing is with Manny,’ Torre told reporters in San Francisco. ``It’s still pretty early in the season.’’

Torre also had no comment on an mlb.com report that part of the reason Kemp was benched for three days was because of an argument he got into with a coach in the dugout.]

‘We move on,’ he said.

-- Steve Dilbeck