SEATTLE — A red-hot start from a middle-of-the-order bat challenged the Yankees’ discipline just six games into the season.

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But Aaron Boone still stuck to the long view, which is why Giancarlo Stanton was on the bench for a 5-3 win over the Mariners in the series finale at T-Mobile Park.


The Yankees said throughout the spring that they would be proactive in getting Stanton semiregular days off to keep him healthy over the long haul, an approach that paid dividends last year once the 36-year-old DH began his season in June following a battle with tennis elbow in both arms.

So even after Stanton began this season 10-for-20 through five games — going 2-for-4 in each one — he was out of the lineup Wednesday against Mariners righty George Kirby.

“This was the day we had marked with him,” Boone said before the game. “He and I talked about it a few days ago. Just wanted to stay disciplined to that, be smart here. Obviously, he’s off to an amazing start. Hate having him out of that lineup, but doesn’t mean he won’t have the most important at-bat today.”

Stanton did not end up being needed, though his absence allowed Paul Goldschmidt to play — and crush a key three-run homer.

Carlos Rodón, after experiencing right hamstring tightness earlier this week, threw again on flat ground in Tampa and then flew to New York, where trainers will get a better hands-on look at him to determine whether the start of his rehab assignment will need to be delayed.

The left-hander got on the mound briefly Wednesday — not for a full side session, but he will need to throw one of those before lining up his next outing.

“We’ll have a better idea in the next few days,” Boone said. “It does seem to be a minor thing, but we’ll have a better feel over the next couple days when our trainers here get with him and see how he’s progressing each day.”

As of Wednesday, Rodón was not scheduled to undergo any testing.

Luis Gil, meanwhile, flew to Rochester to join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with whom he is scheduled to make a start this weekend, which should be his final tuneup before he is called up when the Yankees need a fifth starter by April 11.

As David Bednar’s pitch count continued to climb in the 9th inning — after he was called on to get the final out of the 8th — it made for some uneasy times for Boone in the dugout.

Bednar finally finished the win on his 40th pitch, getting Cole Young to fly out on the 10th pitch of an at-bat that likely would have been his last.

“That was very uncomfortable,” Boone said. “I was not comfortable going that far. Obviously, [I] had Timmy Hill up [in the bullpen], but you know the righties they have sitting over there as well that they’re going to shoot at any time. … What a good job of not giving in.”

Amed Rosario started at third base for Ryan McMahon, who is off to a slow start at 1-for-14 with seven strikeouts.

USA Hockey Olympic gold medalists Jack Hughes and Aerin Frankel will throw out the ceremonial first pitches before Friday’s home opener at Yankee Stadium.