For Chase, it’s glove at first sight

STARTING PITCHING remains the priority, but the Yankees also have been exploring the trade market for an upgrade at first base for weeks.

One of their potential targets — former Met Lucas Duda — already has shown over the past two days why his lefty power stroke would have been a good fit at the Stadium since he was traded to Tampa Bay at the start of this four-game series in the Bronx.

But perhaps they finally have found an internal solution.

Chase Headley’s recent play at a position he’s learning on the fly has been more than acceptable and the displaced third baseman continues to be resurgent at the plate, with a key two-run homer as a pinch-hitter in the Yankees’ 5-4 walk-off win Saturday over the Rays.

“It’s certainly not the easiest thing to do, especially in the middle of a season,” Headley said of switching positions since the Yanks acquired Todd Frazier from the White Sox on July 18. “It’s one thing if it’s coming into spring training, but again, it’s still on the field and I feel like if I can get to the ball and catch it, that’s the approach I’ve tried to take.

“And sometimes the frustrating part about hitting is there are not major adjustments to be made. I’m just trying to swing at good pitches, and mechanically I’m in a good place. Hopefully I got the rough stuff out of there and will continue to swing well.”

First base largely has been a black hole for the Yankees all sea- son, with projected starter Greg Bird sidelined for all but 60 at-bats before finally undergoing foot surgery earlier this month. Expected backup Chris Carter was twice designated for assignment until Headley became the 11th player — including Gary Sanchez and pitcher Bryan Mitchell — to play the position.

And it’s why the Yanks have been linked to Duda, who homered for the second straight day on Saturday, Oakland’s Yonder Alonso and others.

But Headley is batting .325 in July — and .429 (12-for-28) over his past nine games, mostly since the position switch.

“To me, the key to it was the day or the evening that we were in Minnesota, and the trade was announced that we have Frazier, he came into my office right after the media left and said ‘I’ll do whatever you want. If you want me to go to first, I’ll go to first. You want me to stay at third, I’ll stay at third,’” Girardi said. “So it’s the attitude. He embraced it and knew that he would do whatever it took to put us in the best situation to win. And I really believe that’s one of the reasons he’s thriving now.”

Garrett Cooper started at first base Saturday against Rays lefty Blake Snell, but the switch-hitting Headley batted for him against righty reliever Sergio Romo with the Yanks trailing by one run in the sixth. He ended a string of 124 atbats since his previous home run on June 13 in Anaheim — but only his fifth of the season — driving a 2-0 pitch the other way and over the wall in left-center for a 4-3 lead.

“I feel like with the exception of the power numbers that my swing’s been pretty good for most of the season,” said Headley, who also walked to start the winning rally in the ninth, which culminated in Brett Gardner’s game-winning single. “I had a really tough stretch, but the doubles are there and I’ve hit the ball really hard and I’m getting on base. “For whatever reason, the homers haven’t come to this point… But I’d rather have good at-bats consistently.”