With Kemp on the DL, it's Ethier's time to shine

As great as the Dodgers have been this season (MLB-best 24-11), the injuries are starting to pile up.  Matt Guerrier, Jerry Hairston, Juan Rivera, and Juan Uribe are all on the DL right now.

Add to that list the mighty Matt Kemp, and you can guess that rougher days may be ahead for the boys in blue.

Who can be the man in Kemp's absence?  It's simple: Andre Ethier.

Simply put, Ethier has a chance to carry the Dodgers over the next couple of weeks while Kemp rests that sore hamstring.  He's the only true "superstar" in the lineup right now, and will be the at the heart of the Dodgers' order that will somehow look to keep winning with consistency.

It was already a big year for Ethier even before the season started.  After coming off a second consecutive All-Star Game appearance and a first ever Gold Glove Award in right field, he still entered the 2012 season with plenty to prove.  His 2011 season was cut short thanks to right knee surgery, and he's also in the final year of his contract.  Add to all of that an attitude that hasn't always been perceived as the greatest, and it's been something to prove indeed.

So far, it's been so good for him.  He's hitting .308 with 8 homers and 33 RBIs through 35 games.  The RBI total has him in first place in the National League.  Most importantly, he's given teams plenty of reasons to think again when it comes to intentionally walking Kemp.  Walk Kemp, and watch Ethier drive in runs.  Don't walk Kemp, and watch them both beat you.  It's been that much fun.

Now Ethier will need to step up and show the world that he can also be "the man."  And he'll need to do it with a bunch of scrappy hitters, but no power threats.  Game 1 of the Kemp DL stint went perfectly for him, as he went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in helping the Dodgers down the Diamondbacks, 3-1.

If Ethier struggles, then it's easy to see the Dodgers doing the same.  They can't win every game by hitting singles and out-pitching other teams.  Ethier can be that guy who delivers those big hits.  In fact, his numbers have increased with runners on base (.400) as opposed to nobody on (.240).  That's the ultimate sign of a clutch hitter.

Like it or not, Ethier is squarely in the spotlight while Kemp recovers.  Now is his chance to show that the Dodgers are more than just a one-man show.