Carter may whiff on playing time in ’17

TAMPA — From 2013-16, Chris Carter averaged 146 games played. Last season with the Brewers, the first baseman appeared in 155 games and started 151 of them.

Now, the 30-year-old Carter is likely looking at a platoon role at first base with the left-handed hitting Greg Bird, who hasn’t been smothered by lefties in the minors or during his brief big league stint with the Yankees in 2015.

At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, power hitters often struggle without regular at-bats because they can’t get into a rhythm. Add in the fact Carter whiffed 751 times with 428 hits from 2013-16, and his 206 K’s last season led the NL.

Carter started at first base Wednesday night against the Braves and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Carter has a shorter swing than most big hitters, one that produced an NL-leading 41 homers last season for the Brewers, who were so unimpressed they didn’t offer him a contract. Over the offseason, power hitters didn’t draw their regular interest and Carter had to wait until Feb. 7 to sign with the Yankees, who offered a one-year deal for $3.5 million.

With the left-handed hitting Bird off to a terrific start to the exhibition season and the right-handed Matt Holliday entrenched as the DH and hitting from the same side of the plate as Carter, the view in the early days of March is cloudy as to where the at-bats for Carter are going to come from.

According to several talent evaluators, Carter’s swing is short, yet capable of unleashing tremendous power. But his lower half, which former Yankee and current Mets hitting coach Kevin Long harps on, has been a problem.

“It’s stagnant, no movement,’’ the evaluator said. “It’s like hitting a golf ball without the [weight] shift. The lower half is still an issue.’’

Playing time could be a bigger issue for Carter, who does have experience as a part-time player from his days in Oakland. In 2012, Carter played in 67 games and batted .239 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs.

The following season, he started a four-year streak of being an everyday player with the Astros.

“I hit every day. When the game started I would go hit in the cage,’’ Carter said of being a bench player. “I had to be ready for anything.’’

Bird hasn’t mashed lefty hurlers, but he hasn’t been dominated by them either. In 67 games for Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2015, Bird batted .240 (30-for-125) with five homers, 19 RBIs and a .733 OPS. In 23 big league games that same year, Bird hit .238 (10-for-42) with two homers, seven RBIs and a .752 OPS.

While Carter has improved hitting the slider, strikeouts are part of the package. He has averaged 35 homers and 88 RBIs, but has averaged 206 strikeouts per season and 117 hits for a .218 batting average.

“He is going to play first base against left-handers and spell Holliday on certain days,’’ manager Joe Girardi said. “You hope everyone has a great season and you have to make some tough decisions, but I think there will be at-bats.’’