Dodgers’ Matt Kemp struggles at the plate in two rehab games

— The hamstring injury that put Matt Kemp on the disabled list appears healed. The poor hitting that preceded the stint on the disabled list? The Dodgers are keeping their fingers crossed.

Kemp was hitless in five at-bats — with four strikeouts — in his first rehabilitation game with triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday. He had one hit in three at-bats Sunday, with another strikeout.

In 51 games with the Dodgers, Kemp is batting .251 with two home runs and 60 strikeouts, a total that still leads the team even though he has not played in the major leagues since May 29.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said Kemp had tried new contact lenses in Saturday’s game, which might have contributed to the strikeouts.

Mattingly said he was “not really” concerned about the statistics from Kemp’s first competitive game in nearly a month, but he said the Dodgers would consider extending Kemp’s rehabilitation assignment beyond the planned three or four games if the strikeouts continue.

“Is the timing for him back, at game speed? It doesn’t seem like it’s back yet,” Mattingly said before Sunday’s game. “If it’s two or three or four games, or five or six, to get his timing back, that’s what you need out of the rehab.

“We don’t want to put Matt back in the lineup if he’s not really ready.”

Kemp has struggled to recover his power after shoulder surgery in October. The Dodgers’ medical staff cleared Kemp for an increased weightlifting load last month, and Mattingly said Kemp flashed his vintage power during batting practice here Friday.

“He was back to the old Matt in batting practice, when the ball really carried,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly said he did not want to make too much of batting practice, except that the balls had traveled differently off Kemp’s bat.

“When he’s going good, he’s hitting a lot of balls high,” Mattingly said. “They were Matt’s type of power.”

Kemp did appear sufficiently recovered from the hamstring injury, since he attempted a stolen base and scored from second base on a single in Saturday’s rehabilitation game.

“The running part was really good,” Mattingly said.

Heating up?

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is a big fan of the Miami Heat. The Heat won its second consecutive NBA championship last week, with a similar strategy to that employed by the Dodgers this year: spend however much money is needed to get as many star players as possible.

If the Heat can win, how come the Dodgers cannot?

“They didn’t win the first year,” Ramirez said.

However, in its first year with LeBron James and Co., the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. The Dodgers are in last place in the National League West.

“This season is not over,” Ramirez said. “We’ve got a long way to go. Anything can happen.”

Short hops

Yasiel Puig had four hits in 16 at-bats in the San Diego series, with six strikeouts. The Padres got him out with fastballs in and sliders down and away. … Chris Capuano got his 1,000th strikeout. … Jonathan Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter for the San Francisco Giants in 2009, is scheduled to make his debut for Albuquerque on Monday. The Dodgers signed him to a minor league contract last month. He is winless in his last 18 major league starts, for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

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