Kent hopes to return Tuesday

Sidelined for the Dodgers’ last six games because of a strained left hamstring, Jeff Kent said he is aiming to return Tuesday for the start of a three-game series in Cincinnati.

“That’s our target date,” Kent said. “If we stretch out the progress [I’ve made], that looks to be a good day.”

Manager Grady Little said he was fairly certain that Kent would be able to hit that target.

“He’s close enough where it was a tough decision [Sunday] not to play him,” Little said.

Kent’s personal progress report wasn’t quite as glowing.

“If I was as close as I will be Tuesday, I would have played,” he said. “But I’m not. I’m still making progress.”

The Dodgers scored two or fewer runs in four games on their six-game homestand without Kent, who batted a major league-leading .447 in July.

Derek Lowe experienced stiffness in his left hip after his start Saturday, leaving Little uncertain about his rotation. Mark Hendrickson will start Tuesday, followed by Chad Billingsley. If Lowe is recovered by Thursday, he will start that day.

Facing Arizona over the last three days allowed first baseman James Loney to catch up with old friend Chris Young, the Diamondbacks’ center fielder and leadoff hitter.

Loney and Young grew up in the Houston area and have known each other since they were in grade school. As 12-year-olds, they played on a travel team that went to Puerto Rico.

Loney and Young played at rival powerhouse high schools, with Young a grade level ahead.

Young said he always knew Loney had the potential to play in the majors, but thought he would do so as a pitcher.

“He was throwing in the upper 80s and low 90s, which as a lefty, especially high school, was gas,” Young said. “He had a good curveball.”

Good enough to ruin Young’s junior season.

Young’s Bellaire High was ranked No. 1 in the country in 2000 and riding a 22-game winning streak entering its meeting with Loney’s Elkins High in the regional playoffs. Loney, then a sophomore, struck out 10 and gave up only five hits in a 2-1 victory for Elkins.

“That game put our school back on the baseball map,” Loney said.

Loney’s team won again the next season. For Young, that loss proved to be more costly.

Charging from center field to catch a shallow fly ball hit by Loney, Young collided with his team’s left fielder and broke his arm. Young’s draft stock slipped and he wasn’t selected until the 16th round, by the Chicago White Sox. Young said he spent the next seven months recovering.

Young said that even among elite players, Loney always stood out.

“You could see he was getting better every year, every year, every year,” Young said. “All the way from Little League, you could see that. He started to constantly shine above the other players.”

Neither Young nor Loney hit well in their latest series against each other. Young was two for 12 over three games and Loney was one for 11.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com