Scott Van Slyke optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers activated pitcher Brandon McCarthy to make Saturday’s start against the Royals, and to make room outfielder and first baseman Scott Van Slyke was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It has been a rough season for Van Slyke, who in three major league stints in 2017 is just 5-for-41 (.122), with two home runs, a double, and seven walks in 29 games.

Van Slyke hasn’t fared much better in Triple-A, hitting .233/.346/.361 with three home runs in 40 games for Oklahoma City. His bread and butter is usually hitting left-handed pitching — Van Slyke owns a career 130 wRC+ against lefties in the majors — but this year between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City is hitting just .197/.319/.311 against southpaws. That includes just 4-for-29 (.138/.265/.276) in the majors.

The Dodgers called Van Slyke up earlier in the week when relief pitcher Grant Dayton was placed on the disabled list. He got into one game on the homestand, walking as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning on Thursday against the Diamondbacks, but he was promptly picked off first base.