CLEVELAND – The slumping Austin Wells could come out of the mop-up spot – and maybe even out of the lineup altogether, at least for one game – with Cleveland left-hander Matt Boyd starting in Game 3 of the ALCS Thursday at Progressive Field.

Right-handed Giancarlo Stanton hopes to move up to fourth in the lineup against Boyd, as Aaron Boone indicated earlier in the series.

The Yankees have avoided combining lefty or righty hitters against Cleveland due to their dominant bullpen, with Boone saying earlier in the series, “I don’t like four of five lefties from five down and three of four righties (at the top) ), where I guarantee that I (lefty Tim) Herrin and so and so for all the lefties, I (get) their best righties for all the righties.”

But the manager also added, “When a starting pitcher like Boyd starts against us, like I’ve done all year, it’s a little different.”

Whether the Yankees go with Jose Trevino behind the plate instead of Wells remains to be seen.

Wells had just a .526 OPS against lefties on the season and Boone previously said of Trevino, “There’s definitely a possibility he could get in there (in the series).”

Clarke Schmidt, who takes the mound for the Yankees on Thursday, has slightly better numbers pitching for Wells than Trevino, and Trevino hasn’t started a game since the season finale on September 29.

Although Boone did not announce Thursday’s lineup during a Zoom call Wednesday from the Stadium, he praised Wells’ work behind the plate amid an 0-for-19 slide that also includes nine strikeouts.

“He’s done a great job while he’s struggled a little bit offensively,” Boone said, adding that he liked Wells’ final at-bat on Tuesday, a 105-mph lineout to right on a throw of nine at bat against the tough right-handed Hunter Gaddis.

“I felt like he got a lot of good shots from Gaddis there,” Boone said.

Anthony Rizzo received further treatment at the Stadium on Wednesday for broken fingers in his right hand before the Yankees left for Cleveland.

Boone said Rizzo told him the hand felt better than Tuesday, when Rizzo played his second game since returning from the injury late in the regular season and delivered a double.

“He will continue to receive treatment and hopefully continue to improve day by day,” Boone said.

Rizzo batted eighth in each of the first two games of the series and is 3-for-7 with a double and a walk.

Nestor Cortes (left elbow flexor strain) threw a hybrid bullpen session at the Stadium, which was expected to include 10-15 pitches in the bullpen and 10-15 pitches against live hitters.

If that goes well, the left-hander could be facing hitters again this weekend, keeping him well in the mix to make the World Series roster when the Yankees get there.

Cortes said Tuesday night that the goal is to have two to three live batting practices before he can be activated.

“Whether I do well or not, what matters is that I come back and that I don’t fill a roster spot for no reason if I can’t go anymore,” Cortes said. “I think it’s mainly a good feeling and then performing is of course the next step.”