And on Tuesday the Dodgers placed Scott Van Slyke on DL

It’s a twist on the old joke: If the day ends in a “y” it must be time for the Dodgers to put someone on the disabled list.

So Tuesday rolled around and Scott Van Slyke found himself a member of the Dodgers’ most popular club, joining the 15-day DL because of shoulder bursitis.

Which as it turned out, was very good news.

“We actually thought it was worse than the results we got today,” Van Slyke said. “We thought maybe I had a slightly torn labrum.”

That would have required surgery, similar to what Matt Kemp underwent last season, and ended his season. An MRI exam showed otherwise.

The Dodgers called up outfielder Alex Castellanos from triple-A Albuquerque to replace Van Slyke. Castellanos was batting .270 with nine home runs and 28 runs batted in for the Isotopes.

Castellanos didn’t arrive alone. The Dodgers also called up right-hander Chris Withrow, 24, from Albuquerque and sent infielder Justin Sellers down. Sellers was up for one day.

Withrow was a Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2007 and a starter until switched to the bullpen last season at double-A Chattanooga. He was 4-0 with a 1.93 earned-run average this season in 23 games at Albuquerque. He will be making his major league debut.

Van Slyke was injured while diving for a ball May 25. But in only 24 games, he is second on the team with six home runs.

“They feel like he’s a guy who in 15 days should be ready to roll,” Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said. “He has some inflammation in the shoulder. It was good news from his standpoint and our standpoint that it’s not going to be something that needs surgery.”

The Dodgers have now used the disabled list 20 times this season, putting 15 different players on it.

Other injury news: Left-hander Ted Lilly had an epidural to reduce inflammation in his sore neck; catcher A.J. Ellis began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and is on schedule to be activated when he’s eligible to come off the disabled list Friday; and reliever Ronald Belisario felt improved with collarbone soreness and Mattingly said should be available Wednesday.