Girardi shuffles Alex into the No. 3 hole

All indications were that Alex Rodriguez would be anchoring the bottom of the Yankees lineup as he worked his way back this season. That seems to have changed rather quickly.

For the third game of the campaign Thursday, Joe Girardi moved A-Rod into the No. 2 hole while giving Brett Gardner a day off. On Friday, the manager penciled A-Rod into the No. 3 spot in the lineup, another sign that Rodriguez has emerged as one of the Yankees’ best hitters early in the season.

“His at-bats have been good,” Joe Girardi said of A-Rod, who entered Friday’s game against Boston 2-for9 with a home run and two walks. “You look at his swings, his swings have been good. I know everyone is going to get caught up in the numbers, but our numbers haven’t been glaring anyway right now. It’s a position that he’s used to hitting in the middle of the order, he understands how to hit in that position, and that’s why I chose to do it tonight.”

Girardi gave Carlos Beltran, his regular No. 3 hitter, the night off, opening the spot for A-Rod, who went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI single Friday before being lifted for a pinch-runner in the 11th inning. With the Yankees scuffling for runs and struggling with runners in scoring position — they were 3-for-21 with RISP during the opening series against Toronto — could Rodriguez find himself sticking in the middle of the lineup?

“I really haven’t thought about that beyond today,” Girardi said. “We’ll just see how guys are swinging and then we’ll go from there. I like the way he’s swinging. I liked the way a lot of our guys swung the bat in spring training. Maybe it hasn’t translated in the first few days, but I don’t think you make a lot of changes the first few days.”

GOING BATTY ALREADY

That 3-for-21 start with runners in scoring position made it feel like déjà vu for the Yankees, who have struggled with situational hitting for the past two years.

Kevin Long was let go as the hitting coach last winter as the Yankees believed a new voice was necessary for the lineup. In the early going, Jeff Pentland had experienced more of the same.

“That’s got to change,” Girardi said. “You have to have faith. The big thing is you keep getting the opportunities. That’s the big thing. You continue to show confidence in your players.”

HOW HE DREW IT UP

With Didi Gregorius getting the night off Friday, Girardi started Stephen Drew at shortstop and utility infielder Gregorio Petit at second base. Girardi had Drew, the regular second baseman, got some work in at shortstop late in spring training with this exact scenario in mind. “Until Brendan (Ryan) gets back, that’s what I’ll do,” Girardi said. “I wouldn’t think that it would be tough (for Drew).”

Jose Pirela, who may have made the club as the utility man if not for the concussion he suffered on March 22, is still not ready to play in games.