Dodgers outfielder Chris Heisey has had an up-and-down season

Of Chris Heisey’s 10 seasons in professional baseball, this has been the most chaotic.

“By far,” Heisey said with a smile.

Heisey, who started in center field Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, is on the Dodgers’ major league roster for the fifth time this season.

Before his most recent promotion from triple-A Oklahoma City, the Dodgers released him only to reacquire him three weeks later in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

“On the bright side, I met a lot of new people, played in a lot of cities I’ve never been to,” Heisey said. “I’ll take it for what it is.”

Regarded as a strong defender with above-average power at the plate, the 30-year-old Heisey knew he was heading into the unknown when the Dodgers acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds last winter. Even after trading Matt Kemp, the Dodgers still had outfielders Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Joc Pederson on their roster.

Because Heisey didn’t have five years of major league service time, the Dodgers were able to shuttle him to and from the minor leagues without his consent. And they did.

Through the first two months of the season, they had called him up and sent him down three times. The third time he was demoted, he was only one day short of five years of service time.

“I didn’t feel misused by the Dodgers at all,” Heisey said. “They were very straightforward and honest with me.”

Heisey never bothered to look for an apartment in Los Angeles; he lived in hotels whenever he was called up. His wife and year-old son usually stayed behind in the house they rented in Oklahoma City.

Heisey was promoted again in early June and optioned two weeks later. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July 30, removing him from their 40-man roster. A week later, they released him.

He signed with the Blue Jays and was assigned to their triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y.

On Aug. 31, Heisey was in a hotel room in Buffalo when his wife remarked that Dodgers utilityman Enrique Hernandez was down with a hamstring injury.

“It’s funny they got rid of you,” Heisey said she told him. “Now they could use you.”

Heisey smiled as he recalled the scene.

“Literally, 15 minutes later, I got the text saying they got me back,” he said.

Heisey, batting .133 this season in 20 major league games before Friday, is hopeful he’ll return to being a full-time major leaguer again, whether it’s with the Dodgers or another team.

“One thing I’ve proven over the last five years is that I’m a reliable defender in the outfield at all three positions and I’ve had success pinch-hitting,” Heisey said. “I think I could have a job in the National League somewhere being a fourth outfielder.”

Medical updates

Rookie Corey Seager started his fourth consecutive game at shortstop, as veteran Jimmy Rollins remained sidelined by a bruised right knuckle. . . . Catcher Yasmani Grandal remained out of the lineup because of a sore left shoulder. . . . Puig, on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, still hasn’t started running.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez