BALTIMORE — In a season where seemingly every bump and bruise suffered sends the player to the disabled list, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he is supremely confident Hiroki Kuroda won’t be sidelined by the bruised right calf that forced him out of Wednesday night’s game.
“I would be shocked if he couldn’t make his next start,’’ Girardi said after his top starter left in the third inning of a 6-3 loss to the Orioles in front of 26,725 at Camden Yards.
Considering starters Andy Pettitte and Ivan Nova are on the disabled list, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira haven’t played this year and Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Youkilis and Francisco Cervelli remain on the shelf, Girardi could be guilty of wishful thinking.
Kuroda took a Manny Machado grounder off the right leg in the second after giving up home runs to Nick Markakis and Chris Davis (4-for-4) in the first. He stayed in the game until Davis singled in the third.
Following the hit, Kuroda stood on the mound and rotated his torso. Girardi took that as a sign Kuroda had an issue with the back.
“I thought it was his back, but he was trying to stretch his calf,’’ Girardi said of Kuroda, who allowed five runs and a season-high eight hits in two-plus frames and is 6-3.
Preston Claiborne replaced Kuroda, and three pitches later Matt Wieters slugged a three-run homer that upped the Orioles’ lead to 6-1.
Considering the Yankees have been scuffling to score runs — they have scored four or fewer runs in seven of their last 11 games — that was too deep of a ditch to climb out of against Jason Hammel, who improved to 6-2.
Robinson Cano singled in Curtis Granderson (3-for-3 with his first homer), and Granderson went deep in the fifth. David Adams added a homer in the ninth.
Kuroda, 38, will wait until today to judge the shape of his calf, but said he is confident he will start Tuesday against the Mets at Citi Field.
“It will depend on how it feels [today], but for me I will make the next start,’’ said Kuroda, who strongly explained his back wasn’t an issue.
Considering how they have thrived in the absence of huge names, any missed time by Kuroda finally could be the breaking point for the plucky Yankees, who dropped two of three from the Orioles.
The Yankees entered the three-game series against the O’s having won two straight, four of six and nine of 12, and they won the opener. But Nate McLouth took Vidal Nuno out in the 10th inning Tuesday night for a 3-2 Orioles victory and, in addition to Kuroda being forced out, the Yankees didn’t do much against Hammel.
The right-hander who benefitted from several line drives hit right into leather, lasted 6²/₃ innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
Pitching has carried the Yankees so far because the lineup that consists of third string options at third base, shortstop, first base and catcher has had trouble scoring runs.
Naturally, Girardi wouldn’t have made such a bold statement about Kuroda taking the ball for his next start without the advice of the trainers and Kuroda’s input.
Yet, Youkilis’ back issue wasn’t supposed to be a big deal and it was. Pettitte’s trapezius muscle deal wasn’t supposed to be much and it was. Nunez’s left oblique strain wasn’t believed to be serious enough to land on the DL and it was.
Now, it’s Kuroda’s right calf. Yes, the Yankees are due to dodge a injury, but based on the way this season has gone is that a sure thing?
george.king@nypost.com