A- Rod mum on $ 6 million marketing agreement dispute

BALTIMORE— As first reported Sunday by Post columnist Ken Davidoff, the Yankees approached Alex Rodriguez about using a charitable donation to settle their potential dispute over the $ 6 million marketing agreement for Rodriguez tying Willie Mays on the alltime home run list.

On Sunday, after the Yankees’ 53 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards, Rodriguez refused to go into details on the subject.

“I am not going to get into that now,’’ Rodriguez said. “It’s family business and will be handled properly.’’

Rodriguez also danced around Monday’s soft deadline to file a grievance against the Yankees for the marketing agreement bonus.

“That stuff will work itself out,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know much about a time frame.”

With two games at Marlins Park against the NL East Marlins set for Monday and Tuesday the DH will not be used.

Considering Rodriguez remains one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters will manager Joe Girardi play him in the field?

“My plan is no, but everything is subject to change,’’ Girardi said.

Unless the manager believes Chase Headley or Mark Teixeira, two other productive hitters recently, require a day off itwould be hard to replace them with Rodriguez who hasn’t played in the field since May 19when he entered a game at Washington at third base in the eighth inning.

Carlos Beltran’s 38yearold body is in its 17th big league season and has been invaded by surgeons’ knives several times.

Both are reasons Beltran doesn’t move well in right field, but Girardi is not questioning Beltran’s effort as he labors to get to balls.

“The effort is always there. I know Carlos isn’t a guy who plays like his hair is on fire, but he is playing hard,’’ Girardi said of the switch hitter he didn’t put in the lineup Sunday against Orioles righthander Mike Wright. “But Carlos was a Gold Glove center fielder and he glides to the ball. That’s just the way he runs. The effort is there.’’

Jacoby Ellsbury is hoping he can come off the disabled list before June melts into July.

“I was told six weeks when I did it, so hopefully if I can trim any time off that it would be a success,’’ said Ellsbury, who suffered a sprained right knee on May 19.

Ellsbury, whose next step in the rehab process will be taking batting practice on the field, admitted there is a degree of tightness in the knee.

“It hasn’t hampered the progression,’’ Ellsbury said. “I have been told it’s natural.’’