Aaron Judge of the Yankees waits to finish his at-bat in the...

Aaron Judge of the Yankees waits to finish his at-bat in the eighth inning as the Orioles pitcher is checked on at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac

Aaron Judge did not hit a home run. (How’s that for getting to the point?)

No, Judge, who tied Roger Maris’ American League home run record of 61 on Wednesday, didn’t break that mark in his return to Yankee Stadium on Friday in the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Orioles. He went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and two walks.

Though the games are essentially meaningless and Judge’s race for the record and Triple Crown were the main reasons for the sellout crowd of 47,583, there’s still plenty to be learned in these days leading up to the Division Series.

That much was obvious when Zack Britton came into a tie game in the sixth and continued the streak of wildness that’s plagued him since his return from Tommy John surgery. He eventually exited with a trainer.

The lefty, who entered with runners on second and third and one out, walked the first batter and sailed a pitch over Jose Trevino’s head to allow the go-ahead run to score and prompt a visit to the mound. He immediately was removed.

The Yankees said he left with ‘’left arm fatigue.’’ Aaron Boone said Britton’s elbow likely is fine, that he’s just tired and they don’t want to push it.

Britton has walked six in three games spanning two-thirds of an inning — a troubling trend that, even if he’s healthy, could leave him off the playoff roster.

Aroldis Chapman, who’s gone from elite closer to postseason bubble player, built on a recent strong stretch. Oh, and let’s not forget Oswaldo Cabrera, who continued to make himself indispensable, hitting a home run in the fifth to tie the score at 1-1.

All of which means Boone will have some decisions to make in his future — difficult ones that also take into the account the imminent returns of Matt Carpenter, Wandy Peralta, Miguel Castro, Frankie Montas and potentially Andrew Benintendi.

(As for Judge, he struck out, singled in the third, drew a full-count walk in the sixth and picked up an intentional walk on a 3-and-0 count with the tying run at second in the eighth. Since hitting his 60th homer on Sept. 20, he is 7-for-25 with 15 walks. In the battle for the American League batting title, Minnesota’s Luis Arraez, who did not play Friday, is at .3147. Judge is at .3141.)

“We’re about 11 days away” from finishing the evaluation process for the playoff roster, Boone said, meaning the day of ALDS Game 1 on Oct. 11. “It’ll be ongoing to that point and up to what opponent we’re facing. These games are important in that regard to see what we have with certain guys and then those five days [off] leading into the Division Series all the way up to who ends up being the opponent.”

There are a few factors at play, the most obvious being who’s healthy enough to contribute, but some of the biggest gambles are a product of who the Yankees already have active in their bullpen. Chapman, who’s struggled with his mechanics this year and has been highly inconsistent, has made five straight scoreless appearances in which he has struck out five and allowed one hit in 4 1⁄3 innings.

When asked if Chapman still has to fight for his spot, Boone hemmed before essentially saying yes. “I’m really excited about where Chappy is physically and he has an outing that he had the other night in Toronto where, that’s it right there,” he said. “That’s dynamic, and we know he can be that guy. So it’ll be an important week for him to hopefully get some regular work and continue to have that consistency.”

The Yankees also are waiting to see who’ll be ready and when: Montas (shoulder inflammation) is set to start throwing Saturday, but he’s been far from the rotational lock the Yankees imagined when they traded for him. A spot in the bullpen could be an option if he’s healthy. Peralta (spine) should be healthy by the end of the regular season and Castro (shoulder) is ready to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list, though the Yankees haven’t made the move.

If the Yankees go with a nine-man bullpen for their 26-man roster, that means three guys are out — a group that potentially could include Chapman, Britton, Clarke Schmidt or Lucas Luetge.

As for position players, the Yankees will see if Benintendi (broken wrist) can be ready for the playoffs, and it seems as if Carpenter (broken foot) should at least be a pinch-hitting option. All of that makes for a crowded outfield, one that could even exclude Aaron Hicks.

Carpenter, who took batting practice Friday, will have to go without any rehab games because the minor-league season is over. He’ll either be activated for the Yankees’ final series against Texas or work at a training facility the Yankees are setting up in Somerset, New Jersey, home of their Double-A affiliate. Either way, it sounds as if he’s headed for the ALDS.

“He’s doing really well,” Boone said. “Does it make sense to have him come there [to Texas] and maybe get a pinch-hit at-bat or two or three, or does it make more sense to start getting live ABs at Somerset and potentially, [enter] a Division Series scenario [with] seven, 10 days of live at-bats? I think we’re probably leaning more that way.”

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