BOSTON — The Yankees’ offense, which has added Jazz Chisholm Jr. and scored 26 runs in taking two of three at Fenway Park, has begun to come around and shown glimpses that its roughly six-week funk may be over.
The rotation’s pulse has been harder to find.
The Yankees have lost 23 of 35 games not just because their offense had fallen silent but also because their rotation had fallen off a cliff.
In 72 games through June 14 — in which the Yankees were 50-22 — Yankees starters pitched to a 2.77 ERA that was the best in the majors.
In the 35 games since, Yankees starters have posted a 5.95 ERA, which was the worst in the majors.
The fall has been sudden and stunning.
“We were the best rotation in baseball for two months and now we’re the worst rotation — or worst pitching staff, I don’t know what the numbers are — in the past month or so,” Nestor Cortes said after his own dud Friday. “I don’t know if it’s the fact that the league has caught on to what we’re game planning or if we’re not throwing enough in situations where we can get guys out. But it has to be brought up and turned around as quick as possible.”
The question will become whether the Yankees can feel confident that the group can self-correct on its own or whether it needs help.
The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Sunday that the Yankees were among six teams that had checked in on the Giants’ Blake Snell ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Gerrit Cole (5.40 ERA) has not consistently pitched like Gerrit Cole in his seven starts since returning. Cortes and Marcus Stroman have taken steps back.
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Carlos Rodon had regressed, though he has bounced back and pitched well in Sunday’s 8-2 win over the Red Sox.
While Luis Gil has generally been effective of late, there is constant monitoring of his workload, having already exceeded 100 innings for the first time in his career and coming off Tommy John surgery.
“I don’t think it’s tiring,” manager Aaron Boone said of the group before individually defending each member. “I feel like they’re all capable of taking the ball every fifth day and delivering for us, and hopefully we can get it turned around and get us more in line and consistent like we were the first couple months.”
Unless the Yankees get creative and, say, use Cortes to bring back another starter or prospect, adding another rotation member at the deadline likely would affect Gil most.
The 26-year-old has made 20 starts and rebounded after three rough outings at the end of June and beginning of July.
It is possible that Gil, in a move that could both preserve his innings and solve a bullpen problem, eventually transitions into a reliever.
Boone, though, said he is confident Gil — whose electric arm could make him a Game 2 starter in a playoff series — can survive the season in the rotation.
“Again, it can always change,” cautioned Boone, who used the All-Star break to give him a further break by slotting Gil as his fifth starter upon returning.
Boone said Gil popped into his office Saturday to let him know “how good he feels, how he feels like he’s prepared and training for the long haul of a season.”
Consider the conversation another data point for the Yankees, who need to decide whether their rotation can fix itself or whether it needs to be fixed.