Matt Kemp put on disabled list for third time, Ted Lilly activated

TORONTO – Matt Kemp is on the disabled list for the third time this season.

The reason this time was a sprained left ankle he sustained Sunday in Washington. Kemp rolled his ankle sliding into home plate.

“We were hoping that over 48 hours, it would get better,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “It hasn’t.”

Kemp’s DL move is retroactive to Monday. Kemp will be eligible to be activated on Aug. 6, the second game of a four-game series in St. Louis. However, Mattingly didn’t know if he would be ready to play by then.

Ted Lilly was activated from the DL to replace Kemp on the active roster. The veteran left-hander, who has been on the DL three times, figures to be used as a long reliever.

Before the All-Star break, Lilly told management he wanted to try pitching out of the bullpen, citing his inability to physically recover from starts.

“It allows us to use the bullpen differently tonight,” Mattingly said, pointing to how he used left-hander J.P. Howell each of the last two nights.