Green’s season in jeopardy

BALTIMORE — Chad Green may avoid Tommy John surgery, but his season almost certainly is over after being diagnosed with a sprained UCL and strained flexor tendon in his right elbow Saturday.

Asked if he expected Green to be able to pitch again this season, manager Joe Girardi said, “I wouldn’t think so.”

Though Green wasn’t in the plans to be a key part of the Yankees rotation down the stretch as they try to make a September run to the postseason, he had emerged as someone the Yankees became somewhat dependent on.

Green is expected to visit team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad on Monday in The Bronx to determine his future, but the Yankees will need to figure out a replacement for him in time for Wednesday’s game against the Blue Jays.

The two top candidates are Luis Severino, recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after rosters expanded Friday and tossed an inning in relief and Bryan Mitchell, who still is coming back from a fractured toe suffered during spring training.

“We’ll play it by ear and see where we’re at, depending on what we need the next couple of days,’’ Girardi said before the Yankees lost 2-0 to the Orioles at Camden Yards. “It could be a number of different scenarios we use Wednesday, but what I think what you have to worry about right now is the games in front of you.”

If Girardi decides to go to Severino out of the bullpen again, perhaps Mitchell gets promoted, but Girardi also said there was no guarantee — even after Green’s injury — that Mitchell would get brought up.

Not catching regularly hasn’t helped Brian McCann at the plate. He has one homer in his last 24 games.

“You hope he gets hot and starts hitting the ball out of the ballpark,” Girardi said. “He has not hit home runs, but he has had big hits for us.” ... Ronald Torreyes started at third but went 0-for-2 and had his sevengame hitting streak snapped. He had been 14-for-26 during the stretch.

Gary Sanchez was named the AL Player of the Month “It feels great to win the award, but the focus is to win games and win series,” Sanchez said through a translator. “This is a new month.”