Kemp diagnosed with chest wall contusion

SAN DIEGO – Left fielder Matt Kemp exited the Reds’ 4-3 loss to the Padres on Sunday afternoon in the middle of the fourth inning, shortly after he hit the outfield wall at Petco Park in pursuit of a fly ball.

Kemp was unavailable after the game, but the Reds later announced he sustained a bruised chest wall. After being examined, he joined the team for the flight home to Cincinnati.

“Hopefully, he’s OK,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He’s a tough guy."

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Wil Myers sent a ball deep to left field. Kemp hit the wall with the right side of his body as he reached above the wall trying to make the catch. The ball then caromed off Kemp’s glove, with his left wrist hitting the top of the padding.

Kemp pursued the ball and tossed it back to the infield while in apparent pain. He was checked out by the Reds’ staff but remained in the game.

Myers wound up with a two-run double that gave the Padres a 3-1 lead. That outcome was confirmed after a replay review of whether or not a fan might have touched the ball.

Kemp came up to bat in the fourth and struck out looking on a 3-2 fastball from Padres left-hander Joey Lucchesi. Kemp, who was displeased with a previous strike call, had a few words with home-plate umpire Lance Barrett during the at-bat and as he returned to the dugout. Bell also came onto the field to talk with Barrett after Kemp retreated.

In the middle of the inning, Scott Schebler entered the game as a defensive replacement in Kemp’s spot. Schebler then went to center field, with Jesse Winker moving from center to left.

“He was a little dazed, but he was adamant about staying in the game,” Bell said. “I knew he was in a little bit of pain. We were just hoping it was a temporary thing. After he came back from hitting, it was pretty obvious we needed to get him out of there. Hopefully, it’s nothing long term.”

The 34-year-old veteran of 14 big league seasons was acquired by Cincinnati along with Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer in December. Kemp led off the second inning with a double and scored on a one-out single by Jose Iglesias. He is batting .200 with one home run in 20 games played this season.