At some point in Dodger Stadium’s 54-year history, the pitch speed display became as much a part of the scenery as the San Gabriel Mountains. More than a gimmick but less than essential, it helps tell the story of each game, two or three digits at a time.

Now, in baseball’s booming information age, the velocity of a pitch seems as quaint as a transistor radio. The data can still be found on the main video board at Dodger Stadium, but it’s been joined by a graphic showing something called “speed off bat” — a novice translation of exit velocity for each ball in play.

Dodger Stadium is believed to be the first National League park, and the only MLB park outside of Cleveland’s Progressive Field, to integrate exit velocity data into its displays.

The idea was suggested by Tom Darin, the Dodgers’ director of broadcast engineering, and incorporated into the display by director of graphic design Ross Yoshida. “Speed off bat” made its debut at the Dodgers’ first regular-season home game Tuesday.

Lon Rosen, the Dodgers’ chief marketing officer, said fans have requested more advanced data on display in recent years.

“The genesis,” he said, “is to give fans more info.”

Others in the ballpark have noticed, too.

“The first time I noticed it was when Howie (Kendrick) had his base hit to right,” Dodgers infielder Charlie Culberson said. “It was like 110 (mph). Pretty cool.”

Culberson’s reaction was typical of his teammates: Exit velocity in real time satisfies a curiosity, but little more.

As Justin Turner came to find out Tuesday, he couldn’t check his exit velocity by looking at the scoreboard even if he wanted to.

“When a ball gets put in play, you watch the ball,” he said. “By the time you look up, it’s gone.”

Of course, this and other data are available to the players on demand once they leave the field. A couple years ago, when Trackman data was first integrated into the front office’s decision-making dictionary, Turner recalled a gofer popping into the dugout regularly with exit velocity data.

For now, he and others believe the knowledge is of little consequence to players in real time.

“It might change if they say, ‘If you hit the ball hard constantly, you’re going to get paid more.’ Then I might start paying attention,” Kiké Hernandez said. “But I don’t think it affects anything.”

Kendrick starts in left

Howie Kendrick’s second game of the season took him a long way from the right side of the infield. He was the Dodgers’ starting left fielder for Tuesday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The last time Kendrick started a game in left field was Aug. 13, 2011, for the Angels. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the possibility of reprising the role was discussed when Kendrick re-signed in January.

“Hopefully,” Kendrick said after finishing Monday night’s game in left field, “it’ll help us win some ballgames.”

Kendrick has started 1,062 games at second base in his career, including Tuesday. This was his 21st start in left field. The position has become a sore spot for the Dodgers lately: Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke are all on the disabled list. So is Alex Guerrero, who’s dabbled in left in the past.

Trayce Thompson, Hernandez and Culberson are the other healthy Dodgers with experience at the position. Roberts said he wanted Kendrick’s bat in the lineup against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Rubby De La Rosa.

“In a perfect world, we would’ve gotten (Kendrick) more repetitions (in left field) this spring,” Roberts said. “The way Chase (Utley) is playing, I want to keep him in the lineup.”

Also

Crawford could begin a rehab assignment next Wednesday, then rejoin the team on its road trip to Denver, Roberts said. Crawford was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with lower back tightness and has already been cleared to resume full baseball activities.