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Yankees relief pitcher Michael King throws a pitch to the...

Yankees relief pitcher Michael King throws a pitch to the Orioles during the eighth inning of a game on July 28 in Baltimore. Credit: AP/Julio Cortez

 MIAMI — Michael King might get a chance to be the big-league starter he’s always wanted to be.

Though King, used as an opener in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Marlins, has excelled in whatever bullpen role the Yankees have put him in during the last several years, he has never wavered in his long-term goal of being a big-league starter.

Aaron Boone didn’t say  the Yankees are outright ready to give that a try, but because of the loss of Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes and Domingo German from the rotation and a bullpen that recently was bolstered by the return of Jonathan Loaisiga and the acquisition of Keynan Middleton, he said it’s something that could happen before season’s end.

“It’s certainly on the table,” Boone said before Saturday’s game. “We probably can’t get him totally built up in a perfect world, especially how we’re going to [possibly] need him on a given day, but certainly trying to keep it in play.”

Of starting, Boone said of King: “He’s expressed that interest at different times, going back to spring training, a couple of times this year, [saying], ‘Hey, I can start too.’ He’s just been so valuable [as a reliever], but as we’ve gotten some guys back to our bullpen and having some injuries in our rotation, makes a little bit of sense to have him have some longer outings when we can.”

The Yankees employed the opener strategy for a third straight game Saturday — each time treating the decision with Manhattan Project-like secrecy. Boone said suddenly going with openers was the result of the depletion of the rotation  but also the skill set brought to the table by Ian Hamilton, who opened Wednesday's and Friday’s games, and King.

“I think in Hamilton and Kinger’s case, they’re uniquely equipped to handle any kind of role, especially that role if need be,” Boone said. “But again, I think with King, it could be something where we continue to try and build him up a little bit.”

King took the loss Saturday as the Marlins beat the Yankees, 3-1. He allowed a 409-foot two-run homer to Luis Arraez in the first inning and pitched a scoreless second before giving way to Jhony Brito. 

DJ still hobbled

DJ LeMahieu, a last-minute scratch before Wednesday night’s game in Chicago because of right calf tightness, was not in the starting lineup for a third straight game Saturday.

“We’ll see how he goes through everything [pregame work] as far as his availability today,” Boone said. “But so far it does look like we’re going to avoid the IL.”

Hello again, Andy

Andy Pettitte, hired last month as an adviser to Boone on a when-available basis, is scheduled to join the club in Atlanta on Monday for the start of  a three-game series.

Boone said the pitching plans for that series as of now call for Clarke Schmidt to pitch Monday, followed by Luis Severino on Tuesday and likely Randy Vasquez on Wednesday, though the Yankees could choose to go the opener route with the latter, as they did in Miami on Friday.  

Effross latest

Righty Scott Effross, a trade-deadline acquisition in 2022 who underwent Tommy John surgery last October, joined the club in Miami this weekend, coming down from Tampa, where he has been rehabbing all season.

The righthander, who isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2025, said his recovery is going well and that he has begun throwing bullpen sessions and should be cleared to face hitters starting in September or October. He expects to be full-go come spring training and intends to report to Tampa  on the early side.

“[Should] be as much as normal an offseason as it could be,” Effross said Saturday.  

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