Dodgers being ‘super, super cautious’ with Corey Seager’s injury to make sure he’s healthy for playoffs

If the Dodgers were playing out the string, would the team have shut down Corey Seager by now?

“I think there would be a better chance,” Seager said Monday.

The Dodgers are bound for the playoffs, and Seager might be their most valuable player, so he and his sore right elbow will return to duty this season.

“It’s probably something in the offseason I’ll have to address more,” he said.

Seager said he has experienced swelling in the elbow. He can hit without discomfort; the Dodgers hope he can return to shortstop this weekend. If he does, he would have had close to two weeks to rest the elbow.

“There is some inflammation in there, nothing really overwhelming,” he said. “There’s some old stuff that flared back up. In the past, I’ve had a little bit of it and managed it here and there.”

Seager never has been on the disabled list because of an elbow injury. Could he face arthroscopic surgery on the elbow in the offseason?

“I don’t know yet,” Seager said. “That will be discussed later.”

He said he is not at all concerned he could miss the playoffs and said the Dodgers are being “super, super cautious” with him.

“I don’t really have any worries at all,” he said.

To help cover the position in what has become a prolonged absence, the Dodgers called up Charlie Culberson, their shortstop at triple-A Oklahoma City. Culberson hit the game-winning home run in the Dodgers’ National League West clincher last season, but he had spent this entire season at Oklahoma City.

The triple-A season ended Monday, and Culberson said he had his ticket to fly home to Georgia.

“This is a nice change of plans,” he said.

Buehler? Buehler.

Walker Buehler will join the Dodgers on Wednesday, and the rising star will be afforded the chance to earn a spot as a reliever on the postseason roster.

“It all depends on how he fares,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s going to get opportunities.”

Buehler, 23, was the Dodgers’ first pick in the 2015 draft, then underwent Tommy John surgery. He wowed the Dodgers this spring, then climbed from Class A in April to double A in May and triple A in July. The Dodgers moved him to the bullpen last month in preparation for this promotion.

“He’s very talented,” Roberts said. “He’s a part of the future, I know that, and possibly the present. How present? It’s up to him.”

Short hops

In addition to Culberson and Buehler, the Dodgers are bringing up outfielders Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson and catcher-infielder Kyle Farmer from triple A. Pederson hit .143 there following his demotion, with one home run and 12 strikeouts in 56 at-bats. … The Dodgers activated reliever Josh Fields. … The Arizona Diamondbacks sent their first baseman and MVP candidate, Paul Goldschmidt, to Phoenix for an MRI examination of his sore right elbow. Goldschmidt is batting .314 with 33 home runs and 109 runs batted in.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin