Dodgers recall Tim Federowicz and place Chris Capuano (calf) on the 15-day disabled list.

Chris Capuano

Chris Capuano collided with Jason Marquis and fell down covering first base in the first inning. He wasn’t injured on that play, but stayed in the game and strained his left calf muscle running to cover the bag in the second.

Chris Capuano was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, ruling him out for the next time the Dodgers will need a fifth starter. That spot wouldn’t necessarily come up until the Dodgers’ April 27 home game against the Milwuakee Brewers, but manger Don Mattingly said he would like to use the fifth starter on April 24 at Citi Field against the New York Mets to give Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett an extra day between their next two starts.

Ted Lilly returned to the team one day after making a rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in two days. He’s done making rehab starts and is poised to take the fifth turn in the rotation.

“If he slots in, everybody kind of gets an extra day,” Mattingly said. “We really like doing that.”

However, Lilly isn’t taking Capuano’s spot on the active roster. Catcher Tim Federowicz was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque prior to the game and is in uniform today against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers will have three catchers — Federowicz, A.J. Ellis and Ramon Hernandez — when they embark on a three-game interleague road trip to Baltimore this weekend. Mattingly said he wanted the flexibility of an extra position player with the designated hitter rule in effect at Camden Yards.

“It allows us to do some things with A.J. (Ellis) Basically we have to survive one day (Wednesday),” the manager said.

Barring injuries, Federowicz would likely return to Albuquerque when the Dodgers visit the Mets.

Hernandez is hitting .474/.500/.842 in 19 at-bats against the Orioles’ starter Friday, right-hander Jason Hammel. Look for him to start that day, with either Hernandez or Ellis serving as the DH and the other catching.

“Our thought as much as anything is you need an extra player, so this allows us to use different guys,” Mattingly said.

As for Capuano, he will have an MRI exam tomorrow to determine the severity of his left calf strain, followed by a PRP injection.

“It doesn’t bother me walking around today,” he said. “I got a good workout in.”

Capuano said he’ll fly out to join the team in Baltimore after getting the PRP injection in Los Angeles.