TAMPA — Deivi Garcia’s attempt at making the rotation to start the season came to an end Friday, when he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, leaving Domingo German as one of the Yankees’ five starters.

The news was hardly a surprise. The 21-year-old Garcia clearly trailed German in the fight for the final spot in the rotation, following three rough Grapefruit League outings in which Garcia struggled with his command.

“My message to him I tried to convey was, ‘Stay ready, we’re gonna need you,’ ” manager Aaron Boone said. “ ‘Make sure you handle your business down there.’ ”

Boone noted he thought the Yankees would need a sixth starter “here or there” in April.

“He has shown himself to be a guy with a lot of promise, not only for the future, but to help us this year,’’ Boone said.

The start of the minor league season has been delayed, so Garcia will report to the alternate site, which Boone had indicated earlier in the week, when he said he viewed both Garcia and German as starters — and not candidates to join the bullpen on a short-term basis. But the manager has also stressed that he still expects Garcia — and Clarke Schmidt — to provide valuable innings for the Yankees this season. It just won’t happen right away.

While Garcia saw his control vary from start to start, German has been solid throughout the spring.

German’s spring training got off to a rough start after he returned from his MLB suspension that cost him all of last season for violating the league’s domestic-violence protocols.

Some teammates, most notably Zack Britton, made it clear they weren’t thrilled with German’s return, but German calmed some of the waters by addressing the team early in the spring.

His performance on the mound took care of the rest. German looked even better than he did in 2019, when he emerged as a consistent starter in The Bronx. In nine innings, covering three starts, German didn’t allow a run and struck out 13.

It’s unclear when the Yankees will need a fifth starter early in the season, with a pair of off-days in the first eight days of the season.

Gerrit Cole is lined up to start Opening Day on Thursday in The Bronx, but Boone hasn’t revealed the rest of the rotation order.

In the last turn, Jameson Taillon followed Cole, with Corey Kluber and Jordan Montgomery next. German would be next in line, whenever that is.

But Boone warned against looking too far into the order as of now.

While the way they line up might still be up for debate, the Yankees made one of their most significant decisions of the spring. Garcia was thought to have a good shot at breaking camp in the rotation before camp started.

In five Grapefruit League starts, Garcia had a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings, but he also walked eight batters in his last nine innings.

“German looks ready to go right now, just plug him into a game and go,’’ one NL scout said. “Garcia is still learning. There’s a clear gap there.”

That gap will lead to German starting the season in The Bronx in another step in what the 28-year-old hopes is a long-lasting comeback.

Boone has said repeatedly this spring that German has “looked the part.”

“He looked really polished,’’ Boone said after German’s most recent outing. “You kind of say, ‘That’s a really good pitcher right there. A guy who can do a lot of things on the mound.’ ’’

As for Garcia, Boone said: “We love his confidence and his moxie and his feel to pitch.”

They want Garcia to work on making his delivery more efficient after it became “a little out of whack.”

That development will continue in the minors for now.