Welcome to the stretch run: Dodgers immediately start Justin Ruggiano

Say this for Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly: The front office keeps shuffling his parts and he keeps using them.

In their latest biggest game of the season, Mattingly is starting Justin Ruggiano in left field and Jose Peraza at second Tuesday against the Giants. And, oh yeah, he’s hitting Zack Greinke eighth and center fielder Joc Pederson ninth.

It’s all hands on deck, all the time for Mattingly.

Needing an additional right-handed-hitting outfielder with Yasiel Puig on the disabled list, the Dodgers acquired Ruggiano on Monday night from Seattle. After spending 36 games with the Mariners (.214/.321/.357), Ruggiano was playing with their Tacoma triple-A team in Salt Lake City when he was moved to the Dodgers.

With Salt Lake City he was hitting .296 with a .385 on-base percentage, 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 49 games. To create room for him on the 40-man roster the Dodgers called up right-hander Josh Ravin and placed him on the 60-day disabled list with a hernia.

Ruggiano, originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 25^th round of the 2004 draft, showed up Tuesday afternoon and was immediately in the lineup. The 33-year-old said he wasn’t taken back by the start.

“Nothing surprises me in this game,” he said. “I’ve been in it too long to be surprised by much.”

Ruggiano said he played at double A with A.J. Ellis. The Dodgers traded him to Tampa Bay in 2006.

“We’re in the playoff hunt, I’m really excited,” he said. “I was drafted by this team and to come full circle and be back here is exciting for me.”

For his career, Ruggiano has a .266/.331/.505 slash line against left-handers.

Peraza, who ended up in center during the Dodgers’ 5-4, 14-inning win Monday, is appearing in only his fifth major league game.

Mattingly said if Clayton Kershaw had matched up against Bumgarner again, he would have batted him ninth. This is the first time this season Mattingly has batted his starting pitcher eighth.

“It just seemed like looking at our guys, the way they’re stacked, Zack seemed to fit there,” Mattingly said. “He seemed liked the right guy with Bumgarner.”

Mattingly said he wasn’t concerned the struggling Pederson might get the wrong message with the move.

“No, the other side of it is he gets to hit leadoff,” Mattingly said. “He doesn’t have the pitcher behind him. We just feel like it’s the right place for him.”