Dodgers’ Matt Kemp gets to join in the home run derby

Matt Kemp said he has watched the home run derby almost every year.

On Monday, he will be a part of it.

“It’s all fun,” Kemp said.

Kemp, who is tied for second in the National League with 22 home runs, was officially invited to the contest by NL captain Prince Fielder.

Kemp and Prince will be joined on the NL team by Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers and Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kemp said he would take bullpen catcher Rob Flippo to Phoenix with him as his pitcher.

“He throws BP to me every day,” Kemp said. “We’ve been talking about it for the past three years. I told him if I ever made it, he was going to come with me. He’s a great guy, somebody I see at the ballpark every day. He always gets me ready for the games.”

Manager Don Mattingly downplayed concerns that Kemp’s season could be derailed by his participation in the contest that is part of the All-Star game festivities.

“I’ve heard stories that you mess your swing up and all that but I’m not buying it,” Mattingly said.

Garland is out for the year

Jon Garland won’t pitch again this season.

The Dodgers’ fifth starter is scheduled to undergo a season-ending shoulder operation next week. Trainer Stan Conte said Garland’s recovery is expected to take six months.

“The fact that he couldn’t progress in his throwing program gave us no choice,” Conte said.

Garland was 1-5 with a 4.33 earned-run average in nine starts. He last pitched June 1.

The Dodgers knew that they were taking a risk when they signed Garland over the winter, which is why his contract was guaranteed for only one season at $5 million. The deal includes a team option for next year, which the team is expected to decline.

Garland’s injury opened the door for hard-throwing rookie Rubby De La Rosa, who has given up four runs in 14 innings over his last two starts.

Oh, the game?

With Andre Ethier sitting out with a fever, the Dodgers turned to Aaron Miles to bat third in his place.

“Surprisingly, it’s not high school,” Miles said.

Not surprisingly, the Dodgers fell to the New York Mets, 6-0, to drop to a season-high 13 games under .500. But in the process, the Dodgers might have lost Miles, who has been the Dodgers’ hottest hitter over the last three-plus weeks.

The slap-hitting Miles, who entered the game hitting .451 over the last 22 games, was struck on the right elbow by a fifth-inning pitch from Mike Pelfrey. He exited the game two innings later and underwent an X-ray exam.

This was Miles’ second time batting third in the major leagues. The only other time he batted third was as a rookie with the Chicago White Sox, in the final game of the 2003 season.

Ted Lilly lost his fourth consecutive start but was considerably better than he was in his previous three outings, as he held the Mets to three runs in six innings. Lilly has been hindered by a sore elbow, according to Mattingly.

Lilly gave up two home runs, a two-run shot to Carlos Beltran in the fifth inning and a solo home run to Jason Bay in the sixth. Bay hit another home run in the eighth inning, a three-run shot off Blake Hawksworth.

The Dodgers are three games back of the fourth-place San Diego Padres.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com