How battle for Yankees’ potential Game 3 starter is shaping up

BALTIMORE — Over the course of the next week, the top priorities for the Yankees are wrapping a playoff spot, then making sure they are the top wild card so they can host the first-round series, and obviously staying healthy.

Not far beyond that is figuring out who is going to be their Game 3 starter — or their Game 1 starter of the ALDS if they are able to get there.

Max Fried and Carlos Rodón — who pitched a seven-inning gem in the Yankees’ 6-1 win over the Orioles on Saturday night at Camden Yards — are their obvious Game 1 and 2 starters, but next in line seems to be a decision between Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and, to a lesser extent, Will Warren.

Depending on how far the Yankees advance into October, they would eventually need four starters.

But how they sort out that order is up for grabs, with Schlitter set to get his penultimate chance to make his case on Sunday against the Orioles before Gil does the same on Tuesday against the White Sox.

“Performance matters, and where you think they are once we’re headed into that situation,” manager Aaron Boone said this week. “They’re each going to have a few more here, so hopefully they put us in a tough situation based on them performing well.”

If the rotation stays on turn, Schlittler is lined up to make his final regular-season start next Saturday against the Orioles, which would then have him available to start on normal rest the following Thursday, the day of a potential Game 3 (if needed) in the AL wild-card series.

Gil is scheduled to pitch Tuesday and then would be in line to go again on Sunday, though the Yankees could hold him out to keep their options open for the wild-card series if nothing is at stake in Game 162.

The decision may also come down to who the Yankees are playing in the first round, which is still very much up in the air as the Astros, Red Sox, Mariners, Tigers and even Guardians loom as possibilities.

“Just paying attention to it,” Boone said of his pitchers. “Watching how they do, how they navigate things and then when you get to a situation if we’re fortunate enough to be playing in those games, how things match up against a particular team, who maybe plays better in a bullpen situation, all those kinds of things.”

Gil was available out of the bullpen for the ALDS last season — when Gerrit Cole, Rodón and Clarke Schmidt were the Yankees’ three starters — but never ended up pitching in relief, then started Game 4 of the ALCS and Game 4 of the World Series.

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The Yankees could certainly envision Schlittler’s high-90s fastball playing up out of the bullpen, but there is also plenty of value in having his high-end stuff in a starting role.

The 24-year-old has only pitched in relief four times in his pro career, all in the minor leagues — three of them coming in behind a major leaguer on a rehab assignment.

As for how the rookie might handle the high-stakes pressure of the playoffs, the Yankees do not seem to be concerned about that.

“That’s been my take on him from jump, that he’s a tough kid, confident, invested in his craft, invested in learning from each experience, each outing,” Boone said. “I feel like he’s come up here and done an outstanding job, but I also feel like he’s grown with the experience. He continues to gain more and more confidence, which is a strength for him.”

The key for both Schlittler and Gil may come down to strike throwing.

Schlittler was known for that while coming up through the minors and had been solid with it in the big leagues before walking five his last time out against the Twins.

Gil’s command has been a work in progress since he returned from a high-grade lat strain in August, walking more batters and missing fewer bats than he did last season.

One factor to watch is how Schlittler continues to hold up with a heavy workload.

Before this year, the most he had thrown in his career was 120 ²/₃ innings last season. This year, he is at 137 ¹/₃ innings and counting.

“I feel good,” Schlittler said. “Obviously I’ve gone over the amount of innings I’ve had ever, so just trying to make sure I’m staying on top of that stuff. But overall, body feels good.”