LAKELAND, Fla. — Kyle Higashioka hasn’t been told he’s the starting catcher. 

With Gary Sanchez now in Minnesota and likely backup Ben Rortvedt still rehabbing a strained oblique, the writing is on the wall. 

And to eliminate further doubt, Higashioka keeps hitting home runs. 

He went deep for a fifth time this spring in the Yankees 6-2 win over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday, this one to the opposite field. 

“Having a lot of success early and hitting the ball hard is good to see,’’ Higashioka said. “Continuing it through the [regular] season is key. This is a good confidence boost.” 

Asked about getting regular at-bats this season in what figures to be a new role — barring a trade for another backstop — Higashioka said, “I don’t want to assume stuff. … If it comes down to where I get a lot more regular at-bats, I’ll be glad to have those and will work hard to achieve that.” 

Whatever production they get out of Higashioka — and Rortvedt — will come as something of a bonus to the Yankees, who have opted for defense over offense this year. 

Rortvedt is working his way back from a strained oblique that has kept him from hitting this spring. 

Higashioka caught Jordan Montgomery’s simulated game at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Friday, but time is running short for the catcher acquired in the trade with Minnesota that also included Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to be ready for Opening Day on April 7. 

Aaron Boone said Friday that Rortvedt is unlikely to get into any Grapefruit League games. 

“He’s going to need some games and I doubt they will be here [during spring training],’’ Boone said. 

That leaves a list of Rob Brantly, David Freitas and Max McDowell as possible candidates to back up Higashioka behind the plate to open the season. 

“I would say we’d consider all of them right there in the mix,” Boone said. 

Brantly is the only one of the three that, like Rortvedt, bats left-handed. 

“That’s something that Rob brings to the table,’’ Boone said. “I guess that’s a factor.” 

Luis Severino and the Yankees will find out just how ready the right-hander is for the regular season when he starts Saturday against the Braves at Steinbrenner Field after being pushed back because of a sore arm. 

A day after playing catch, Severino said he felt “pretty good, pretty normal. Ready for the start [Saturday].” 

He complained of soreness throughout his arm the day after his previous outing, when Severino’s velocity was fine, but his command was off. 

He’s hoping for no more setbacks after pitching just 19 ⅓ innings over the previous three seasons due to Tommy John surgery and other injuries to his rotator cuff and groin. 

“I’ve been battling with this for a couple years,’’ Severino said. “I know I’m going to have some ups and downs, so it’s good to know how to treat it so when it happens again, I’ll be able to do it.” 

The Yankees reassigned right-handers Matt Bowman and Ryan Weber, infielders Phillip Evans, Jose Peraza and Ronald Guzman and outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 

— Additional reporting by Greg Joyce in Tampa