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

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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. Rodón, who has made two spring starts, most recently threw a live batting practice Sunday.Stroman started Friday, and if he throws every fifth day — not nearly a guarantee because of extra rest days in the spring — he would be aligned for Game 1. Boone said he would not hesitate to use Rodón and Fried, two lefties, on consecutive days. “They’re very different in how they go about it,” Boone said from Steinbrenner Field, where the Yankees lost to the Orioles 6-2 on a split-squad day.

“… Maybe if they were very similar, I’d be more inclined to split them up.But ther...