MLB

A-ROD INJURES QUAD

BALTIMORE – Alex Rodriguez may not have to miss a game to be on hand for the birth of his second daughter, after all.

Rodriguez and the Yankees have been waiting for Cynthia Rodriguez to phone and tell them it’s time for the third baseman and cleanup hitter to get to Miami.

Ideally, that would have been today when the Yankees don’t have a game. However, Rodriguez left yesterday’s 7-1 win over the Orioles with a strained right quad muscle and if it’s anywhere near as serious as Derek Jeter‘s strained left quad earlier this season, Rodriguez will be absent from the lineup for a few games.

“It’s a little sore, a little tight,” Rodriguez said of the injury he hasn’t dealt with since high school.

“I am concerned with any type of injury.”

Prior to the game, Rodriguez spoke about his travel plans, a subject Joe Girardi and Rodriguez didn’t want to discuss afterward.

“What I don’t want to do is go to Miami, to Chicago, and back to Miami,” Rodriguez said.

So, he likely went to New York where he will receive mega doses of ice and heat treatments and hope he doesn’t have to miss six games like Jeter did.

“I talked to Jete about his,” Rodriguez said. “It’s similar but hopefully not as serious.”

Bobby Abreu opened the sixth with a single and Rodriguez followed with a grounder to third that forced out Abreu at second.

Running to beat the pivot throw and avoid a double play, Rodriguez didn’t appear to be hampered. However, after standing on first base he flexed the right knee a few times and was honest with coach Tony Pena, who noticed a problem.

Trainer Steve Donohue and Girardi visited Rodriguez at first and they escorted him off the field. The Yankees said Rodriguez will be evaluated daily.

“Tony knew that if I tried to go first to third on a single or score on a double that I could blow it out,” said Rodriguez, who initially believed it was a cramp. He first felt it during the follow through on the swing and then while running to first.

Morgan Ensberg replaced Rodriguez as a pinch-runner and at third and will fill in for Rodriguez if he is out.

Rodriguez’s RBI double in the fourth inning that gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead was his first run-producing hit with a runner in scoring position since April 10. Rodriguez is 3-for-20 (.150) in the clutch.

george.king@nypost.com