DETROIT — If Alex Avila mysteriously disappears from Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees, don’t be surprised.

His wife, Kristina, is already at the hospital, awaiting the conditions to be appropriate to begin inducing labor for the couple’s first child, a daughter.

It could be a long night for Avila.

“It was a long night last night,” the Tigers’ catcher laughed.

With a scheduled day off Sunday — Brayan Pena was slated to start the series finale against the Yankees, anyway — and Monday’s off day before a three-game home series with the Blue Jays, the timing is almost perfect.

Just as long as it’s before the team leaves for a 10-day trip to the West Coast.

“I really don’t want to fly to the West Coast, and then have to fly right back,” Avila admitted in spring training.

Pena would take over the catching duties if and when Avila needed to leave for the hospital, and utilityman Don Kelly would likely be the emergency backup.

“He keeps telling me he has my back,” Avila laughed about Kelly, who’s caught a total of six innings in his career, all coming on July 2, 2011.

UPDATE: Avery Noelle Avila was born early Sunday morning, and by all reports, mother, father and baby are all doing fine. Alex was in the Tigers' dugout for Sunday's afternoon game, likely on very little sleep.