Narrowing down Yankees’ Opening Day starter choices with Max Fried unlikely to get ball

TAMPA — Add one more quirk to a Yankees rotation that has become quirky: Without their No. 1 starter, their No. 2 starter likely will not shift ahead in the order. 

Max Fried, signed to a $218 million deal this offseason, probably will not be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter because “it doesn’t really line up for him to do that,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday. 

Fried is scheduled to start Thursday and likely will start once more in the Grapefruit League, positioned to get the ball for Game 2 of the season on March 29 in The Bronx against the Brewers. 

Boone would not divulge the identity of his Opening Day starter — he expects to make the announcement soon — but the process of elimination hints that Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman likely would be candidates. 

Clarke Schmidt, who did not make his spring debut until Tuesday because of a back issue, is a bit behind and has been lined up to start the sixth game of the season. 

It is possible that fifth-starter candidates Carlos Carrasco (who started Sunday) or Will Warren (Monday) could have their throwing days slightly tinkered to be a bit less stretched out but available for the opener, though it would be a surprise to begin the season with a back-end arm.