TAMPA — Aaron Boone has consistently said throughout camp that he just wants Carlos Rodon to keep stacking good days, regardless of the results.
From that perspective, Rodon completed a successful spring on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees left-hander did not exactly go out with a bang, as he was hit around by the Phillies across four-plus innings, but he did build his pitch count up to 82 in the process.
His next time out will be Friday against the Astros in the second game of the regular season.
“Now it’s real,” Rodon said after the 6-6 tie at Steinbrenner Field. “Now the games matter and whatever this spring training was, it’s gone. It doesn’t matter anymore. Now the games count.”
Facing a Phillies lineup that included Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott and Whit Merrifield, Rodon gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.
It came on the heels of throwing 5 ²/₃ no-hit innings against a weaker Phillies lineup the previous time out.
But Rodon’s five Grapefruit League outings were four more than he made last spring, when he suffered a forearm muscle strain after his first start, foreshadowing a brutal first season in pinstripes.
“I feel confident in myself,” Rodon said. “I felt like I could have thrown more today. So that’s a good sign that I had more in the tank. But it’s nice to go through a whole spring training and get those up-and-downs and get that pitch count up.
“Frustrated with the results today. Luckily, those don’t count. But now they will.”
Boone said Rodon’s stuff was “in a good place right now.”
DJ LeMahieu took ground balls at third base on a back field Saturday and hit inside for the second straight day, continuing to make progress in his return from a significant bone bruise on his right foot.
Still, he is up against the clock to be ready for Thursday’s Opening Day against the Astros.
“He’s still feeling it pretty good,” Boone said. “I do feel like he’s moving in the right direction, but will it be in time? We’ll see.”
Anthony Rizzo, meanwhile, told Boone he was feeling better Saturday after being scratched from Friday’s lineup with a tight left lat.
It’s possible he could return by Monday’s Grapefruit League finale.
“He felt like today would be something he would play with,” Boone said.
Mariano Rivera is among the Yankees contingent going to Mexico City for the two-game series on Sunday and Monday, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported.
The travel roster is headlined by Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe, Jose Trevino, Oswaldo Cabrera, Victor Gonzalez and Jonathan Loaisiga.
Alex Verdugo had been scheduled to go as well but he is staying back in Tampa to tend to a family matter.
Cody Poteet, who the Yankees had said was still in contention for the fifth-starter job, had a rough day in Lakeland, Fla. Starting against the Tigers, Poteet was tagged for eight runs on eight hits and three walks across 2 ¹/₃ innings.
