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Matt Kemp leads the San Diego Padres with 72 games played this season, but in none of those games has he started batting leadoff.

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That changed Wednesday when interim manager Pat Murphy penciled Kemp in at No. 1 in the order for the team’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

Kemp has 46 starts out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup and 25 starts batting cleanup.

He has struggled this season with a .243 batting average which would be a career-low if the season ended today, and is over 40 points below his career average.

His power numbers are also down from previous years with four homers, sixth-most on the team.

With Kemp batting leading off, Justin Upton moves back to the cleanup spot, where he spent most of the beginning of the season, and Yonder Alonso slides into the No. 3 spot.

Matt Kemp to Make Debut in Leadoff Role was last modified: by

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