Ross Stripling is recalled by Dodgers to help out in relief

Reporting from St. Louis —  Ross Stripling watched the Dodgers game drag from Friday night into the 16th inning so he was not surprised to receive a phone call at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday from Gabe Kapler, the Dodgers’ director of player development. Stripling heard good news, even if it’s only a temporary assignment: He rejoined the big league club to provide insurance for the bullpen.

“I certainly didn’t get any indication of making a start, or anything like that,” Stripling said. “So it sounds like I’ll just be used as available in the bullpen.”

Stripling inherited the roster spot occupied by rookie reliever Grant Dayton. After throwing two scoreless innings in his big league debut on Friday, Dayton was sent back to the minors.

Manager Dave Roberts indicated Stripling will not become the fifth member of the starting rotation. The Dodgers will continue to use a four-man unit until early next month.

Stripling spent the first seven weeks of the season as the team’s fifth starter. He posted a 4.53 earned-run average in nine games. The team sent him to the minors after he pitched in relief in a 17-inning game in San Diego. Now a 16-inning game brought him back.

During the intervening weeks, Stripling spent several weeks at the team’s complex in Camelback Ranch. The purpose of his sojourn was to conserve innings for the second half. Stripling was technically on the triple-A Oklahoma City disabled list due to leg fatigue. Stripling chuckled when asked how he recovered from this harrowing ailment.

“Didn’t think it would take a full month,” Stripling said. “But it did.”

Yasiel Puig is still dealing with hamstring injury

After observing Yasiel Puig test his tight right hamstring in pregame drills, Roberts sounded somewhat less optimistic about Puig being able to start on Sunday night.

Puig was only available as a pinch-hitter on Friday. Roberts expected to use him in a similar role on Saturday. He could not predict how Puig would feel on Sunday, and if he would be able to start.

“It’s a possibility,” Roberts said. “But I think there’d have to be some greater improvements.”

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes