Corey Seager batting eighth, starting at shortstop for Dodgers

Speaking to a pack of reporters a few hours before he was to play in his first major league game, Corey Seager was asked whether his parents would be at Petco Park that day.

“They’re actually right there,” Seager said, pointing to a couple standing nearby.

Seager smiled.

“They’re making this a little more awkward,” he said.

Seager, 21, will bat eighth and start at shortstop Thursday for the Dodgers in the opening game of a four-game series against the San Diego Padres.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Seager said.

He said he learned of his promotion to the major leagues at about 1 a.m.

Seager said he didn’t sleep until he boarded a plane out of Oklahoma City, where the Dodgers’ triple-A team is based.

From the Dodgers’ perspective, the roster move is more about necessity than it was about wanting to get a top prospect major league experience.

The team’s infield depth has been depleted in recent weeks, as Enrique Hernandez and Jose Peraza have been slowed by hamstring injuries. Howie Kendrick’s recovery from a strained hamstring has taken longer than expected.

Seager will start Thursday in place of 36-year-old Jimmy Rollins.

Seager is expected to start Friday at third base to give Justin Turner a day off.

Manager Don Mattingly said Seager will probably play more at third base than at shortstop, where Seager has played the majority of this season in the minors.

For Jeff and Jody Seager, this is their second time watching a son make his major league debut. Their oldest son, Kyle, is a third baseman with the Seattle Mariners.

“It’s just as special,” Jeff said.

His wife added: “It’s incredible. That’s my baby.”