HE’S ‘AL’ IN:
Alex Rodriguez is on the hot seat for allegedly playing in underground poker games.
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A-Rod could get royally flushed.
Injured Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez is facing a suspension from baseball, as Major League Baseball brass prepare to grill him about allegedly playing in a series of illegal, high-stakes, underground poker games.
“It could be [a suspension] if it turns out he did something,” a source told The Post. “I know they’re not too happy about it.”
Star magazine reported yesterday that the Yankee third baseman placed bets at a series of poker games. They included one in which “cocaine was openly used” and where a fight nearly broke out when the host refused to make good on his own half-million-dollar loss.
“I would estimate A-Rod lost, like, a few thousand dollars that night,” a source said in the Star report, which was posted yesterday on Radar Online. “After everything that happened, he paid up and left.”
Rodriguez, 36, also allegedly organized his own “hush-hush” game in November 2009, which got out of hand when one sore loser called in “thugs” to intimidate other players, according to Star.
“The thugs were big and aggressive and were sent to the game with one goal in mind: so their friend could attempt to escape paying what he owed,” a source told Star.
The game was managed by a “stunning” brunette named Molly Bloom, 33, who claimed to have had a fling with A-Rod, according to Star.
A-Rod’s publicist denied some facts in the story.
“The story contains numerous factual inacuricies. Alex looks forward to cooperating with MLB in their investigation,” Richard Rubenstein said Thursday morning.
After the thugs showed up, “A-Rod was freaked out by the company he was keeping and left the game with Molly,” a source told the magazine.
MLB released a statement yesterday saying, “We take [the reports] very seriously and have been investigating this matter since the initial allegation. As part of the investigation, the Commissioner’s Office will interview Mr. Rodriguez.”
A-Rod’s name was first linked to the underground card circuit in July, when Radar reported that he played at games run by now-jailed Ponzi schemer Brad Ruderman, which reportedly had a $40,000 buy-in.
At the time, Rodriguez — whom MLB warned in 2005 to stay away from underground poker clubs — through Rubenstein, denied playing in the games.
Ruderman was accused by authorities of using $25 million in investors’ money to fund the illegal games and cover his gambling debts.
Actor Tobey Maguire was sued in June for more than $300,000 he allegedly won at the poker games, by a trustee for Ruderman’s defrauded investors.
Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon also participated in the games, according to reports.
A-Rod has been out of the Yankee lineup since undergoing surgery on July 11 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.