Howie Kendrick is back on Dodgers’ active roster, likely to start Saturday

Howie Kendrick returned to the Dodgers active roster Friday, more than five weeks after he landed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring.

Manager Don Mattingly said Kendrick will be gradually worked back in the lineup, particularly since the minor league season is over and the second baseman didn’t have the benefit of playing games in a rehabilitation assignment.

“I know Howie wants to get back in the rhythm, but we have to be careful,” Mattingly said. “To get started, I just want to get him out and make sure he’s healthy, make sure we’re not running him into the ground, get him used to playing nine innings, get him used to making all the movements he has to make.”

Kendrick was on the bench for the start of the Dodgers’ series opener against the Pirates.

Mattingly explained that he wanted to start Kendrick either Friday or Saturday and not on both days.

While the Pirates are using left-handed starters for both games, Mattingly noted that Saturday starter Francisco Liriano was considerably tougher against the left-handed hitters, as he has limited them to a .205 average this season.

That being the case, Mattingly opted to start the left-handed-hitting Chase Utley on Friday against Jeff Locke, against whom left-handed-hitters entered the game batting .297.

Failed experiment

Mattingly complimented the professionalism of Mat Latos, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment Thursday.

Acquired from the Miami Marlins on July 30 in a three-way trade involving the Atlanta Braves, Latos was 0-3 with a 6.66 earned-run average in six games with the Dodgers, including five starts.

Latos last pitched Tuesday night when he served up a game-deciding home run to Nolan Arenado in a 16-inning defeat to the Colorado Rockies.

Latos asked to speak with Mattingly the next day.

“He was great,” Mattingly said. “He was frustrated from the standpoint of not pitching well, frustrated he wasn’t helping us. I think he handled it really well. Mat was great the whole time here. It just didn’t work out. It’s just unfortunate.”

Extra bases

Mike Bolsinger will start Sunday in the series finale against the Pirates. Bolsinger will essentially trade places in the rotation with Brett Anderson, who will start Monday in the opening game of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The move will allow Anderson to pitch on five days’ rest instead of the usual four. … The Dodgers are making sweeping changes to their minor league coaching staffs, with triple-A manager Damon Berryhill and double-A manager Razor Shines among those who will not be retained for next season. Berryhill was recently named the manager of the year in the Pacific Coast League.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez