LOS ANGELES — On an otherwise demoralizing Saturday night that ended in a 10-run loss to the Pirates, Bryce Eldridge unfurled a swing that reinforced why the Giants believe he’ll be an impact bat for years to come.

Eldridge turned on an inside fastball and launched a towering solo shot that bounced into McCovey Cove, the first of many in his career. It wasn’t a true Splash Hit since the ball didn’t land in the water on the fly, but it was an exhibition of his game-changing power. The Giants called up Eldridge a week ago to jumpstart the offense with swings like this in mind.

The reward for Eldridge’s first career home run has been riding the pine for a team that’s still last in the majors in runs per game and walks.

He didn’t enter Sunday’s game against the Pirates until the 10th inning, as a pinch-hitter. Eldridge’s name wasn’t in the lineup for the opener of the Giants’ series against the Dodgers on Monday, either; he was set to pinch-hit in the ninth, but he was left stranded in the on-deck circle.

So, what exactly is the plan for Eldridge? As things stand, Eldridge isn’t an everyday starter. And while he’ll start on Tuesday, manager Tony Vitello said following Monday’s 9-3 win in Los Angeles, but it’s fair to wonder when his next start will be after facing 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“He’s definitely not going to get the amount of at-bats that he would get if he were on the minor league team and he’s the key ingredient in the middle of the order — not that he can’t be that for us.” Vitello said. “And that may occur. But just kind of looking at it from a status quo perspective, I think it’s more important just to keep them in a rhythm. Then hopefully, after a month or two, we can assess how much more do you need to push repetitions or not.”

Eldridge said, “I’m just going to keep trusting the team and what they’ve got planned for me. “I’m still very confident I’m going to play this game for a long time. Goals will change as the years go on, but right now, I’m just going to do what I’m told and continue to work hard and get ready for every at-bat.”

Like any rookie, the 21-year-old Eldridge will need consistent reps against major-league pitching to develop as a hitter. Monday’s game against the Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki, a right-hander with a poor walk rate, appeared to be a perfect game to get Eldridge back into the lineup. Instead, he started on the bench for the third time in the last four games.

Getting Eldridge into the starting lineup on this roster was always going to be a puzzle since he’s limited to first base and designated hitter.

The Giants’ best hitter this season has been Casey Schmitt, who has a team-leading .864 OPS. Despite his defensive versatility, Schmitt has often started at DH. Rafael Devers, of course, is this offense’s cornerstone and continues to heat up, reaching base four times on Monday and hitting his fifth home run.

“As much of a threat as Bryce is, our biggest threat in the lineup is Rafi,” Vitello said. “Our best producer so far has been Casey, so it does kind of make it that triangle of bodies there. It does make it a little bit of a puzzle to solve.”

Eldridge said, “It’s a good problem to have. We’re here to win, and I’m here to win and help the team win. So, I view it as a good thing that we got a lot of good options at the same position. Like I said, I’m ready to help out however they want me to.”

The other three infield spots are occupied by Luis Arraez at second, Matt Chapman at third and Willy Adames at short.

Arraez leads the Giants with a .311 batting average, while Adames is starting to find life offensively. Chapman remains in a funk, which could lead to the occasional day where Chapman sits, Schmitt starts at third and Eldridge slots in at DH. Still, Chapman is a foundational player with a foundational salary and won’t start stacking up missed games.

The most straightforward way that the Giants could address their current roster logjam would be for president of baseball operations Buster Posey to swing his own version of the Bengie Molina trade, which opened playing time for Posey as a rookie catcher in 2010. In this case, that would mean trading Arraez and allowing Schmitt to move to second base, thus opening up designated hitter for Eldridge.

But barring a trade or an injury, Eldridge will have to temporarily adjust to not being an everyday player.

“I’m just trying to figure out a routine for getting ready for a pinch-hit, how much to hit, trying to manage that workload,” Eldridge said. “It’s new, but I’m ready for any challenge.”

Vitello said he wasn’t concerned about Eldridge’s ability to maintain his timing as long as he gets consistent plate appearances, regardless of whether it’s as a starter or pinch-hitter. He pointed to Sunday’s game as an example.

“If we were to look at it from a development scope, I think, like last game, you pop in two at-bats with a lot on the line, those might be worth four regular at-bats in a game, if you can make that argument,” Vitello said.

Vitello added that Eldridge is here “for the long haul,” as opposed to a temporary stint in the majors, emphasizing that Eldridge is here “to boost our offense.” Given Eldridge’s strikeout rates in Triple-A, a bench role could be San Francisco’s way of easing him into things instead of throwing him into the fire.

If there is any semblance of a bright spot to the roster’s current construction, it’s that Vitello has strong options available off the bench. The impending return of rookie catcher Daniel Susac, who is currently rehabbing from right elbow ulnar neuritis, should give Vitello more options.

Eldridge’s evolution from top prospect to foundational player will require him to be a regular starter at some point. That time, however, isn’t now.