TAMPA — Carlos Lagrange and his 102 mph fastball would no doubt thrive in the Yankees bullpen at some point, but Aaron Boone wants the 6-foot-7 right-hander to focus on starting for as long as possible.
Still, the manager didn’t rule out the possibility of the 22-year-old Lagrange being a factor in The Bronx this season in a relief role if the need arises later in the year.
“I think you want to find out and dream on his biggest upside [being an] impactful starting pitcher,’’ Boone said before the Yankees faced Toronto on Wednesday at Steinbrenner Field.
“There’s no denying he could be good out of the pen, but we’re certainly not gonna rush him to fill a need — especially early on, but as he logs some innings and it becomes a real need at some point, I think anything is possible.”
Lagrange then went out and finished an 8-1 win over the Blue Jays by throwing four no-hit innings, striking out three and consistently hitting triple digits.
“This is all we’ve seen,’’ Boone said of Lagrange’s dominance. “Really, really excellent.”
The Yankees want to build up Lagrange’s workload after he threw 120 innings last year, split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.
But if Lagrange pitches enough innings in the minors and the organization believes he can be a threat at the major league level, Boone wouldn’t say no.
“It depends how it’s going for him, how many innings he’s logged [and] how he looks as a starter,’’ the manager said. “If the need comes up and the role exists, I don’t think that’s the worst thing.”
More important, though, is whether Lagrange can build on his success from last season.
“What’s impressed me about Carlos is his strike-throwing,’’ Boone said. “The biggest question mark is, ‘Can he be efficient enough of a strike-thrower to be at the top of a rotation?’ Everything suggests you want to find that out.”
A pair of veteran players are going to get more experience playing at secondary positions this week, with Ryan McMahon scheduled to start at shortstop when the Yankees visit the Braves in North Port, Fla., on Friday, and Cody Bellinger getting work at first base against Toronto on Wednesday.
Boone said McMahon will get reps at short over the next week, as the manager prefers the third baseman there over Amed Rosario, who will focus on third base, second and the corner outfield spots, as well as some first base.
Rosario would only be used at short “in a pinch,’’ according to Boone, as they believe McMahon has the ability to fill in at short — especially while Anthony Volpe rehabs from offseason labrum surgery.
Volpe is expected to begin taking live at-bats by the beginning of April.
Bellinger, meanwhile, isn’t expected to see much action at first base during the season, with Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt splitting time there.
Still, Bellinger is in the midst of four straight days of work at first, including starting there Wednesday. He’s also expected to be in the lineup at first Friday.
“Just get him moving over there,’’ said Boone, who values Bellinger’s versatility and willingness to switch positions when asked.
“He’s great that way,’’ Boone said. “He loves it.”
The Yankees got their likely Opening Day starting middle infield back Wednesday, with the return of Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base and José Caballero at shortstop.
Left-hander Brock Selvidge will be out for the season after undergoing UCL surgery.
The 23-year-old reached Double-A Somerset each of the past two seasons after being drafted in the third round by the Yankees in 2021. The procedure was first reported by MLB.com.
