Yankees will face an old friend in Jordan Montgomery on Sunday

ST. LOUIS — Up until last year’s trade deadline, the Yankees were all Jordan Montgomery ever knew in his professional career.

So it’s not surprising that the lefthander, dealt to the Cardinals in exchange for Harrison Bader, said it will be “weird” facing his former team on Sunday.

“I don’t know if it will ever be easy facing your friends,” said Montgomery, who will be opposed by Gerrit Cole. “But it’s just part of it. Plenty of guys have friends in the league.”

Montgomery, chosen by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, already has faced his former team once. It came, in a bit of odd timing, less than a week after he was dealt to the Cardinals last season.

Regardless of how weird it may have felt that afternoon, Montgomery allowed two hits in five innings in a 1-0 Cardinals win.

“This one might be a little easier,” Montgomery, 30, said with a smile of not facing the Yankees so soon after being traded.

Before Friday’s rainout, Montgomery, immensely popular among his teammates while with the Yankees, was seen on the field catching up with a handful of them.

The group included Aaron Judge, still on the injured list with a right big toe sprain and with no timetable for a return.

“Yeah, I talked to him out there and he told me he was ducking me,” Montgomery, 5-7 with a 3.52 ERA this season, said with a laugh before turning serious. “He’s such a good player and I love watching him. I texted him to make sure he was OK [after he got injured]. I hate to see that he’s hurting.”

Bader received a standing ovation before coming to bat with the bases loaded in the first inning of Game 2 on Saturday, and he doffed his cap and touched his heart in appreciation.

“It was very, very special,'' he said. "It means a lot to me. Everybody that cheered, has cheered for me over the years, cheered for me in that moment tonight, it means the world to me. Put a lot of years in here, and the love and the appreciation for that, it’s why I do it. That was amazing.”

Return of the Rizz

Anthony Rizzo, who was not in the lineup Friday (the game was rained out) after being hit by a pitch on his left elbow during Thursday afternoon’s victory in Oakland, was the designated hitter for Saturday’s first game and played first base in the second game. “Before we left last night, he said, ‘I’m good to go tomorrow,’ ” Boone said.

Rodon nearly ready

Carlos Rodon, out since the middle of spring training with a left forearm strain, made the third start of his rehab process Saturday night, this one with High-A Hudson Valley. Rodon struck out eight in 3 2⁄3 scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and two walks. The lefthander threw 58 pitches, 38 for strikes.

If there are no setbacks, the plan remains for Rodon, signed to a six-year, $162 million free- agent deal in the offseason, to make his Yankees debut Friday against the Cubs.

“Been encouraged how the last month’s gone for Carlos,” Boone said. “Hopefully everything goes well today, he continues to build that pitch count and if everything goes all right, he’ll be in line to go with us on Friday.”

Donaldson’s mound debut

Josh Donaldson, who pitched in high school and a bit in college, made his big-league debut on the mound in the eighth inning of the first game, retiring the Cardinals in order on 11 pitches.

“He’s wanted to pitch,” Boone said. “I thought he threw the ball well. He was telling me he could throw it well and I thought he went out there and did that.”

All good with Nestor

Nestor Cortes, on the IL since June 5 with a left rotator cuff strain, threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Friday and came in Saturday feeling good, according to Boone.

“I know yesterday went really well,” Boone said. “Even talking to [pitching coach Matt Blake], he thought it looked really good. And just seeing Nestor this morning, everything seemed fine.”

Volpe stays hot

Anthony Volpe went 2-for-4 in each game Saturday, including a triple in Game 2. He has 11 hits in his last 19 at-bats. Volpe has gone 15-for-34 with five walks in 11 games since an 0-for-7 showing in a doubleheader against Boston on June 18 dropped him to a .189/.264/.350 slash line.