Matt Kemp cradled a baseball cap in his hands. The color was the same, the blue he had worn in the Dodger Stadium outfield for nine years. Only the logo was unfamiliar, a "D" stitched where "L.A." used to be, a spring marketing ploy showing the passage of time. Kemp traced his thumb across the lettering.
That reality could not be ignored as pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch on Tuesday morning. It felt remote even after the Dodgers reacquired him in December. Yet here Kemp stood. He looked fit, far from the bloated figure he displayed during his final days as an Atlanta Brave.