#Yankees’ Tyler Wade steps up in DJ LeMahieu’s absence

When Aaron Judge doubled to left in the top of the third on Thursday night, he saw a familiar sight: Tyler Wade racing around the bases from first to score.

“I was joking with him after he scored for me from first on that double, it was just like the Charleston days,’’ Judge said after the Yankees opened the season with a 4-1, rain-shortened win over the Nationals in Washington, D.C. “I played my first organized season with the Yankees in Low-A Charleston [in 2014] and had Wade and Michael O’Neill in front of me and they were so fast, scoring from first all the time.”

Judge and Wade’s careers have taken different paths since then, but Wade has stuck around in The Bronx and while DJ LeMahieu recovered from coronavirus in time to make the Opening Day roster, he wasn’t quite ready to be in the lineup Thursday.

The All-Star’s absence opened the door for Wade, who had the unenviable task of facing Max Scherzer- and he reached base twice.

In the third, Wade tried to bunt a 3-1 slider, but fouled it off. He walked and after Aaron Hicks struck out, scored on Judge’s double to give the Yankees a two-run lead.

He came up again in the fifth after Gio Urshela started the inning with a walk off Scherzer. The lefty-swinging Wade laid down a terrific bunt second baseman Starlin Castro couldn’t handle for an infield single that set up another Yankees rally, as Gleyber Torres drew a two-out walk and Giancarlo Stanton delivered a run-scoring single to right

The game provided a glimpse of what the Yankees hope to get from the 25-year-old Wade, who also can fill in at shortstop, third base and the outfield.

“I think he’s got it in him to be a guy that controls the strike zone, which is critical for him,’’ Aaron Boone said. “Not chasing [pitches] is the difference for him being a really good major league player or struggling. With his speed- obviously we saw the bunt game come into play tonight- he’s a special kind of baserunner.”

And with the new rule where teams start extra innings with a runner on second base, Wade likely will be the primary option.

If everyone is healthy, Wade’s at-bats will be limited. But in this bizarre, 60-game season, Wade’s ability to roam around the field and fly around the bases will be extremely important.

“If he can get on base enough, he’s a guy who can affect the game,’’ Boone said. “With his versatility, he has a chance to be really valuable for us this year.”