Yankees’ Will Warren overcomes rocky start for solid outing in MLB debut

PHILADELPHIA — Will Warren called his MLB debut Tuesday “a dream come true.”

The 25-year-old right-hander was called up to start for the Yankees once Gerrit Cole got scratched with general body soreness and found out in a phone call from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Shelley Duncan.

Since it came on the day of the trade deadline, Warren didn’t know what to expect.

“My initial thought was ‘Dang, what’s going on?’ ” said Warren, the seventh-ranked Yankees prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. “If you knew Shelley Duncan, you’d figure he was joking with me.”

Instead, Warren headed to Citizens Bank Park to face the Phillies.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,’’ Warren said.

He overcame a rough first inning, when he allowed a run, and a worse second, when Austin Hays hit a three-run homer that just cleared the wall in left that put the Yankees in a 4-1 hole.

But Warren recovered and retired 12 of the next 14 batters he faced before leaving with one out in the sixth of the Yankees’ 7-6, 12-inning win.

“I don’t know if I was nervous,” Warren said of the start. “More in shock, maybe. I looked around and said, ‘Dang, the stadium is bigger than I thought it was.’ ”

Warren was able to settle down.

“It comes down to one mistake,’’ Warren said of the pitch to Hays. “He got it. That’s what happens up here. You keep pitching.”

A Jazz Chisholm Jr. three-run homer took Warren off the hook for the loss, and the Yankees battled for the win in 12 innings.

It’s been an interesting path to the majors for the 25-year-old Warren this season.

He was in the mix to take Cole’s spot in the rotation during spring training before Luis Gil won the job.

Warren then went out and put up an 8.53 ERA in his first 10 starts at Triple-A this season.

Warren — ranked as the second-best Yankees pitching prospect, behind Chase Hampton — has risen in the rankings in part due to the Yankees having sacrificed a lot of young pitchers in recent trades.

He’d pitched better of late and got good results in three of his final four starts at Triple-A before getting called up Tuesday.

After the game, he was optioned back to Triple-A.

“He’s a confident kid,’’ Boone said before the game. “We love his makeup, love his stuff. He’s had some bumps in the road this year [at Triple-A], but he also dominated a lot of outings. … He has all the equipment to go out there and be successful.”

Pitching coach Matt Blake said the team was impressed with Warren’s demeanor andthe fac that he recovered after his rough stretch in the minors.

“He weathered his struggles early and made adjustments,’’ Blake said. “We feel like he’s gonna be all right in this environment.”