BOSTON — Of all the culprits in the Yankees’ slow start on offense, there is no one more noticeable than Chase Headley.

Entering Thursday’s games, he had the second-lowest OPS of any qualified position player, his .425 ahead of only the Braves’ Erick Aybar.

Despite the encouraging talk from Joe Girardi about hard-hit outs and bad luck, the results are plain.

Headley has had 65 plate appearances this season and still is looking for his first extra-base hit. Even after he showed signs of life with a pair of singles against the Athletics on April 19, the third baseman followed by falling back into a 2-for-24 rut.

Even the one positive Girardi could point to — the fact Headley still was picking up walks despite his struggles — has dropped off in recent games.

Headley has talked throughout this season and last about his attempts to hit the ball in the air more, but his ground-ball ratio remains alarmingly high (up roughly 10 percent from his career levels), and he’s been wildly unproductive.

During this 8-12 start, the Yankees have been fond of bringing up the fact it’s early, with both Girardi and Alex Rodriguez saying after Wednesday’s loss in Texas that the season is only “one-eighth” complete. There are only six months in a regular season, and one of them is just about up.

The Yankees went into Thursday’s games 27th in the majors in runs scored and 24th in OPS. The problems haven’t just been against lefties, either, as they are 24th in OPS versus southpaws and just 19th with right-handers on the mound.

“It’s been tough for the whole team and for me personally,” Headley said. “We know we’re capable of scoring more runs, and I know I’m capable of doing more. It’s just not fun to go through.”

After Wednesday’s loss, Girardi said he had no plans to do anything drastic to the lineup and had few options even if he wanted to.

Starlin Castro is new to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, but he still remembers his first time meeting fellow Dominican native David Ortiz.

“It was 2011 at Fenway, and he just started talking baseball with me when he was on second base,” said Castro, formerly of the Cubs. “I grew up watching him play. Everyone did. He’s one of the greatest hitters of all time, so we all tried to be like him.”

CC Sabathia wasn’t all that surprised when David Price got off to a bit of a slow start with the Red Sox after signing with them and entering into a new, brighter spotlight.

“It’s definitely an adjustment,” said Sabathia, who went through a similar transition after coming to the Yankees after years in Cleveland and part of a season in Milwaukee. “I wasn’t worried about expectations, but everything is different in New York and Boston, no matter how good you are. I’m sure it’s the same for him.”

Price had a 7.06 ERA after his first four starts before fanning 14 in Atlanta on Tuesday.

“He’s gonna be there a long time,” Sabathia said. “He’s gonna be fine.”