There is a chance Mark Teixeira won’t return until Friday at the earliest from a bruised left instep.

“I don’t know,’’ manager Joe Girardi said when asked if he expected the slumping first baseman would be available for the four-game series against the Orioles that ends Thursday. “I wouldn’t expect to have him [Tuesday]. He is a little better, but he is still pretty sore. It’s really day by day and it’s hard to tell.’’

Teixeira, who is in a horrific 2-for-24 (.083) slump, fouled a ball off his foot Saturday. He remained in the game and X-rays and a CT scan were negative. He missed Sunday night’s game.

“It’s just really sore. I woke up [Sunday] and it felt better and it’s gotten better today [Monday]. I knew something was wrong last year. That’s as worse a pain as I’ve ever been in on a baseball field. There’s a big difference, so I don’t think we’re going to be in that same situation,’’ said Teixeira, who suffered a fractured right shin bone late last season. “I was in a lot of pain last year, which is why we did multiple tests back and forth, back and forth. It’s gotten better both days.”

Teixeira, who has been playing with a torn cartilage in the right knee, said the injury felt like a sprain.

“All the fluid just went right into the ankle, it’s all wrapped up now and I’ll ice it all day and just to try to get that fluid out of there,” Teixeira said. “It hit right below the ankle, just on the edge of the pad.”

Teixeira, who is batting .186 with seven homers, 20 RBIs and.568 OPS, was asked if he could return Tuesday.

“I hope,” he said. “My goal every day is to go and say, ‘Can I play today?’ [Monday] is a no go, but hopefully [Wednesday]. I want to be back as soon as possible.”

Rob Refsnyder started Sunday night at first and was in the lineup at the position Monday night when he went 1-for-3 in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Orioles.

Since Alex Rodriguez thrust himself into the first base picture by saying he was going to start taking ground balls at a position he didn’t feel comfortable with in two games a year ago, Girardi was asked about Rodriguez’s need for a first baseman’s glove.

“Right now I am going with Ref there,’’ Girardi said. “Alex is DHing, so I am going with Ref. It is something we will continue to talk about but we will stick with Ref now. He has had just one day of work [at first] so I am not ready to commit to that.’’

Rodriguez might see first base as an avenue to get more at-bats but his mobility is worse than it was a year ago, when it wasn’t good.

Prior to Rodriguez unleashing a long home run in Monday night’s 2-1 win over the Orioles, Girardi said it was unlikely the DH would face all four right-handers the Birds planned to start.

“At some point I am going to have to DH Carlos [Beltran],’’ Girardi said of the right-fielder who started the past four games in the outfield. “With another night game Carlos is okay so we will see about [Tuesday].’’

While rain forced batting practice to be cancelled for the Yankees and Orioles, Rodriguez was on the field working on a pull drill that was introduced to the Yankees by former hitting coach Kevin Long. A screen cut the plate in half which forced Rodriguez to hit flipped balls to the left side.

It was staple of Long’s with Robinson Cano from the other side of the plate during their time with the Yankees.

With three scoreless innings Monday night from Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman the Yankees’ bullpen extended a scoreless streak to 22 innings.