Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez return to Dodgers lineup

Mr. Kemp, meet Mr. Ramirez.

Manager Don Mattingly did this weird thing prior to Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks. He handed in a real, live lineup.

Matt Kemp, the guy they thought was still running too tentatively with that sore hamstring Monday, was back in the lineup and batting fifth a day later. Hanley Ramirez, who’d missed the last four games with a back issue, was back and hitting third.

Carl Crawford (back) and Andre Ethier (foot) remained out, but Mattingly on Tuesday will send out a lineup that doesn’t look like it’s intended for a spring training game:

Yasiel Puig RF, Mark Ellis 2B, Ramirez SS, Adrian Gonzalez 1B, Kemp CF, Juan Uribe 3B, Scott Van Slyke LF, A.J. Ellis C, Zack Greinke P.

This will be Kemp’s first start since July 21, when he came back from a hamstring injury for one day only to sprain his ankle on a misbegotten slide at home. He pinch-hit Monday. It’s only the 13^th time all season Kemp and Ramirez have been in the lineup together.

Even Van Slyke, who’s been unavailable the past few days with his own back issue, will play.

It’s almost like the Dodgers are tired of messing around with this clinching business.