DODGERS NOTEBOOK: KEMP BACK, STARTS.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Staff Writer

As far as rookie debuts go, Matt Kemp's first taste of the big leagues was a study in contrasts.

The seven home runs he hit in his first 14 games this season represent the high point; the 41 strikeouts in 122 at bats the low.

The real Kemp likely rests somewhere in between the two extremes, and he said he hopes the adjustments he made during a recent stint Triple-A Las Vegas will pull him closer evening things out.

Kemp, who played in 36 games before being sent to Las Vegas last month, was one of three players the Dodgers promoted Friday when major-league rosters were expanded. He was in the starting lineup Saturday against the Rockies, playing center field and batting seventh.

``I`m ready to do whatever they need,'' Kemp said.

Kemp hadn't played a game above Double A prior to his first promotion to the Dodgers in late May, but he quickly showed he belonged with a torrid start. He blamed his subsequent struggles on trying to do too much and failing to adjust to the way opponents were pitching to him.

After returning to Triple-A, the right-handed batting Kemp focused on hitting the ball to the opposite field, a tweak that helped him hit .363 with threehome runs and 36 RBIs in 44 games for Las Vegas.

``Mostly I was just relaxing and having fun,'' Kemp said. ``I got my work in, and I got to play every day. Now I'm back here, and I'm ready to go.''

Kemp's name came up often during trade discussions this summer, with potential Dodgers trade partners continually trying to acquire the highly regarded outfielder. General manager Ned Colletti adamantly refused to trade his prized prospect, convinced that Kemp will be a major building block in the years to come.

Kemp tried not to get caught up in the daily rumors and said he appreciated the Dodgers insistence in holding on to him.

``This is where I want to be,'' Kemp said. ``I want to be a Dodger.''

Good ol' boys: Grady Little, an avid NASCAR fan, spends as much time as possible around the racetrack when he's back home in North Carolina during the offseason. Thanks to his friends at Hendrick Motorsports, that usually means hanging out on pit row.

Little returned the favor Saturday, hosting a handful of crew members from Jeff Gordon's team -- in town for today's Sony HD 500 at California Speedway in Fontana -- before the game.