matt born september american professional baseball outfielder san_diego_padres major_league_baseball mlb named star teams won gold glove awards silver awards began professional career los_angeles_dodgers organization played dodgers drafted dodgers sixth round mlb draft seasons minor leagues major league debut time player took starting center fielder dodgers led national_league runs scored total bases war home runs runs batted additionally player finish home runs steals hank aaron traded season primarily center fielder dodgers transitioned right field early life education son married raised oklahoma mother registered nurse grandmother mother son tyler born prematurely died age attended oklahoma standout basketball baseball teammates varsity basketball team won state title years row team ranked nation point city selection averaged points game williams teammates accused year old woman time high school star basketball tournament january columbus ohio hotel players suspended team investigation woman press charges district attorney opted pursue matter lack evidence drafted los_angeles_dodgers 6th round mlb draft signed team june signing bonus minor leagues started professional career followed columbus improved power numbers hitting single home run games power hitter columbus home runs doubles games home runs doubles games selected team set franchise records home runs slugging percentage major leagues los_angeles_dodgers began jacksonville hit seven runs batted rbis steals prompting promotion major league squad promotion spurred effort provide regular rest center fielder injured right field star drew major league debut los_angeles_dodgers got career major league hit game single hit major_league homer june second stadium bat straight games june phillies twice june colorado starter fifth major league player hit days team fast start hit june july reassigned returned team expanded september second stint majors struggled batted base percentage slugging percentage september october combined season end showed power seven home runs speed stolen bases struggled batting average getting base batted posted base percentage started season major league roster lost place suffering shoulder injury running outfield fence stadium return injury optioned las_vegas returning triple playing played short stint games batting average base percentage slugging percentage hit home runs drove runs stole bases attempts recalled dodgers june enjoyed outstanding sophomore campaign bat batting home runs driving runs starting right fielder hit career grand slam april drove run game dodgers sacrifice fly inning scored driving runs stealing bases named week week april knee injury dodgers regular center fielder moving right field best month season july batting average base percentage slugging percentage home runs rbis stolen bases month sparked career high game hitting streak lasted july august ending hit performance august got track night having hit game home run finished season average rbi second team stolen bases addition set dodgers record strikeouts season career postseason game went double batted chicago_cubs hits went doubles national league championship series philadelphia_phillies better batting dodgers lost series eventual world series champions career walk hit june oakland september player history hit home runs rbis steals season finished year home runs rbi steals rbis extra innings player driven extra innings player reach double category hit career post season home run october bat season selected recipient gold glove award silver award tied record grand season began season excellent fashion hitting seven home runs month april including days april june hit career walk home run arizona relief pitcher giving dodgers run game described career walk home run great feeling badly second half season finished batting average home runs rbis steals playing games time career broke single season record strikeouts subject criticism general manager called publicly early season poor embarrassing base paths season caught stealing times runners scoring position hit seven home runs drove runs bats struck times batted spot right handed pitching batted base percentage home runs rbis opposed average left handed pitchers hit home runs straight games end season major league player accomplish feat season hit consecutive games dodgers homer consecutive games publicized problems base paths previous season arrived spring training early work new coach base running announced intention steal bases season hoped high percentage steals end season steals caught times significant improvement percentage previous year work credited improvement april hit second career walk home run ninth inning closer count gave dodgers victory game atlanta braves days later hit second walk home run season time 12th inning braves pitcher league leaders home runs stolen bases rbis batting average half season voted starter national_league squad arizona accepted invitation participate day giants manager star manager announced decision bat line explaining decision said guy speed power guy beat base hit long ball complete player tremendous defender hole things dangerous single walk reach base twice star game hit 30th home run season august process second player time hit steal bases season club seasons picked 40th stolen base september 18th major history hit steal bases scored 100th run season making 10th score runs rbis season hit 35th home run september making 14th major hit home runs steal bases season september dodgers announced selected teammates recipient given annually player best spirit leadership late won player week award week september hit runs scored home runs week wound hitting home runs rbis leading league categories season led league runs scored total bases war finished second slugging percentage extra base hits stolen bases tied batting average outfield assists extended games played streak games played game season player finish home runs steals hank aaron season struggling hit runners scoring position previous year bounced hit runners scoring position bats runners scoring position hit home runs rbis right batted home runs rbis selected number post season awards including year hank aaron award hitter national_league player win award gold glove award silver award october named team november came second voting later revealed tested positive elevated baseball attempted suspend lost appeal survey baseball writers revealed mvp vote knowledge positive test won eventually suspended scandal publicly stated believed stripped mvp award season season signed franchise record year million contract extension signing extension predicted player history season started season winning week award opening weekend hit home runs drove rbis opening series san_diego_padres record consecutive multi hit games start season season time won award second consecutive won final week april rbi games season season counting end previous season straight games rbi tying season season dodgers franchise record won player week award second week season combined winning award week player win consecutive awards second player win award twice begin season athletics hit slugging percentage leading club best game start hit 10th home run season april tying club record april set season broke sheffield record walk homer april named national_league player month april placed disabled list injury ending streak consecutive games played longest majors time stint promptly injured days later running bases returned despite missing months injuries voted fans starter disabled list play game participate second straight year hitting home run derby finally returned dodgers lineup july missing months injury injury continued crashed outfield wall field colorado august injured knee shoulder continued play despite injuries finished season batting home runs rbis games stolen bases fewest season season underwent surgery sore shoulder repair torn minor damage told wouldn able swing bat january recorded career hit miami struggled gate subsequent shoulder surgery offseason went strikeouts heavily majority dodgers crowd said trying hard team fans injured right game left seventh inning return game placed day disabled list spent time dodgers spring training home close returning suffered setback june returned dodgers june missing games game game ending catch reaching shoulder giants hit returned disabled list july experiencing pain repaired shoulder returned july home run double game injured ankle play home plate ninth inning game initially expressing optimism injury placed day july reacting criticism string injuries said glass ankle injury took lot longer heal expected team reported hoped september finally began minor league rehab assignment class late august struggled plate return date pushed went games seven strikeouts minor league season ended september moved continue rehab activated days later experienced hurt earlier year dodgers shut indefinitely eventually rejoined dodgers lineup september hits including doubles bats played regularly attempt timing playoffs late scratch game september ankle following day revealed major swelling weight bearing bone ankle told kept playing ankle break leave chronic problems rest career shut team announced available playoffs surgery repair problem suffered injury requiring surgery bone appeared games injuries hit home runs rbis slugging percentage dodgers crowded outfield situation subject trade speculation season agent publicly stated expected traded season stewart later remarked team assured making trade recovering injuries sat spring training started playing minor league rehab games dodgers left season opening series australia began season disabled list rejoined dodgers home opener april struggled defensively center field couple months season problem came head particular bad series new_york_mets mid manager openly critical outfield play following series immediately afterward dodgers starting center fielder informed moving left field kept lineup straight games learning new position vocally unhappy playing left weeks moved right field position played regularly comfortable right led dodgers moving center field week july hit home runs games win player week honors fifth time career won player month september hit rbi season hit rbi games san_diego_padres december traded san_diego_padres million cash trade finalized december expressing concerns physical revealed severe attempted deal physical dodgers refused deal originally conceived played game opening day april old team dodgers game drove runs team lost dodgers august road player game history hit cycle inning hit run home run center followed single double finished triple center field 9th inning scoring finished night nickname nickname second major league game career stole second base fourth inning television announcer said looked like big buffalo running bases observation appropriate imposing size dodgers roster lists tall pounds surprisingly fast foot speed word buffalo modified popular dodgers blog proper term north american moniker refers wasn day starting lineup include baseball writer commenting added capitalized article animal completing nickname writing looking forward watching tonight nickname refers oklahoma roots official state animal oklahoma personal life girlfriend filed order claiming abused later dropped complaint representative stated order domestic violence dated pop singer rihanna time beginning november involved charities children creating community initiative called kids hosted children los_angeles area games stadium children
Matt Kemp