Howie Kendrick hits in simulated game in Anaheim

ANAHEIM -- Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick continued his slow and steady rehab of his left hamstring strain, batting in a simulated game on the field at Angel Stadium before the club's second game against the Angels on Tuesday.

Kendrick faced right-handed pitcher Jeremy Kehrt, a 29-year old who made 22 starts for Double-A Tulsa this season. Kehrt threw roughly 45 pitches, manager Don Mattingly said, allowing Kendrick to get roughly nine or 10 at-bats.

"Howie isn't having any trouble swinging the bat, taking ground balls or all that," manager Don Mattingly said. "He didn't know what was coming, [Kehrt] changed speeds on him. We told the kid to try to get him out."

The Dodgers had Kendrick running the bases on Monday, but there was no running on Tuesday, not even running out of the box after he hit the ball.

"This was all about timing and at-bats," Mattingly said.

Kendrick has been sidelined since straining the hamstring on Aug. 9 in Pittsburgh. Tuesday night is Kendrick's 27th game missed on this current disabled list stint, and he figures to remain sidelined until next week at the earliest.

"We'll just continue what we're doing. He'll have another [sim game] this week, I think we're talking Friday," Mattingly said. "Then after the off days he'll have some baseball activities, then see where he's at."

Kendrick is hitting .296/.341/.418 this season. His replacements at second base — Chase Utley 13 starts before Tuesday, Kiké Hernandez eight starts, Jose Peraza four starts and Justin Turner once — have fared quite well, hitting a collective .327/.397/.558 as second basemen in the last 26 games.