Plans to give Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger day off don’t work out

Corey Seager reached into his locker and grabbed a can of Fanta. He took a gulp and grinned. His evening, he said, called for little else.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intended to give the day off to both Seager and rookie Cody Bellinger on Tuesday against San Francisco. Bellinger had not received time off since he debuted. Seager had played in 38 of 39 games.

“It was just a way for me to get both of these guys a day off,” Roberts said.

It didn’t quite work out that way, though. Bellinger entered the game during the sixth inning, playing right field, and Seager pinch-hit in the eighth — grounding into a double play — and then played shortstop.

Seager took the National League by storm in 2016. He finished third in the MVP voting and was the unanimous choice for rookie of the year. After a torrid April, he has cooled off. Before Wednesday, Seager was hitting .216 in May with a .651 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

Seager described his season as “not great.” Roberts has suggested Seager must show a little more patience at the plate. Seager said he is still searching for his most comfortable swing.

“There’s been some times when you just don’t feel good,” he said. “I’ve had some low parts, already, that you hope to not have. It’s just been a constant battle to try to figure it out.” Despite his dissatisfaction, Seager has hit six homers and posted an .851 OPS.

Dayton demoted

By sending down reliever Grant Dayton in order to activate Rich Hill off the disabled list, the Dodgers entered Tuesday’s game carrying Luis Avilan as the only left-hander in the bullpen.

Roberts prefers to have two, but he indicated the team could live with one for the time being.

Adam Liberatore (groin strain) will be eligible to rejoin the team this weekend, but Roberts did not say definitively he would be ready.

The team is not considering shifting left-handed pitcher Julio Urias to the bullpen, Roberts said. After his disjointed spring training, Urias will be afforded “a good runway to make his starts and get on a consistent program,” Roberts said.

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

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