MLB

Thumb injury could keep A-Rod out against Red Sox

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BALTIMORE — Alex Rodriguez might be a no-go for one of the Yankees’ biggest series of the season.

Rodriguez is still suffering from his sprained left thumb, an injury that forced him out of his second straight game last night against the Orioles, had him getting an MRI in New York yesterday and has him as an unknown for the three-game showdown against the Red Sox that begins tonight at Fenway Park.

“I don’t know if he’ll play [tonight]. We have to let it heal. I can’t tell you exactly when he will come back,” manager Joe Girardi said before the Yankees’ 3-2 victory. “He’s really questionable, but we will see.”

Rodriguez’s health has now emerged as the Yankees’ biggest issue for the Red Sox series, with Derek Jeter’s health looming not far behind. Jeter has a right knee contusion and was not in last night’s lineup either. But Girardi is hopeful the captain will be able to play tonight.

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Rodriguez, however, can’t seem to shake his thumb woes. He missed two games against the A’s last week due to the ailing digit, then sat out the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Orioles. His MRI yesterday was negative, so it is nothing worse than a sprained thumb. But it is preventing Rodriguez from immersing himself into any kind of consistent playing pattern. He has played in four games since July 7, due to is to knee surgery and his thumb issue.

“He came back and he irritated it a little bit more. The thumb bothers him more hitting. You feel the vibration of the bat,” Girardi said. “We wanted to have him. We really wanted to have him on a roll. Fresh and healthy. It’s not going to happen. But we have to find a way.”

Rodriguez also missed the Yankees’ last series against the Red Sox from Aug. 5-7 at Fenway, where the Sox took two of three. Boston has taken 10 of the 12 games between the teams this season, and not only have the Yankees struggled offensively against their arch-rivals but the three Yankees starting pitchers who will go in this series have been atrocious against Boston this season.

CC Sabathia starts tonight — he’s 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox. Tomorrow is Phil Hughes, 0-1 in two games (one start) with a 27.00 ERA (seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings). Thursday’s finale features A.J. Burnett, 0-1 in one start with an 11.12 ERA (seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings).

“I feel like I’m a different pitcher than I was early,” Hughes said yesterday, referring to his start against the Red Sox on April 8. “I’m just hoping that comes out Wednesday.”

The Yankees have not had a starting pitcher win a game against Boston this season. Their team ERA against the Red Sox is 5.98.

“I think we’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Girardi said. “They have long at-bats and wear our starters down. Bottom line is you can’t walk them and you can’t make mistakes.”

The Yankees bats also need to wake up against the Red Sox, who are slated to throw righties John Lackey and Josh Beckett to start the series and lefty Andrew Miller tomorrow. The Yankees have batted .225 against Boston this year, and among the Yankees who have at least 25 at-bats against the Red Sox, the highest average belongs to Jorge Posada, who’s at .240 (6-for-25).

The rest? A-Rod’s at .194 (6-for-31). Mark Teixeira’s at .136 (6-for-44). Jeter is at .189 (10-for-53), Nick Swisher is at .209 (9-for-43), Curtis Granderson is at .222 (10-for-45), Brett Gardner is at .225 (9-for-40) and Robinson Cano is at .227 (10-for-44). Granderson could also find himself in an MVP showdown with Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez in this series.

But the Yankees center fielder said: “I don’t know how they could say that, considering we’re not even in September yet.”

September, though, is almost here. The Yankees entered last night trailing the Sox by two games. They might enter tonight without A-Rod as well.

— Additional reporting by George A. King III

mark.hale@nypost.com