HOUSTON — Injuries to stars dominated the Yankees’ regular season and they resurfaced in a big way Sunday, and could impact the remainder of the ALCS.

One night after going 2-for-3 with a home run and making a running catch in left field to help the Yankees beat the Astros, 7-0 in Game 1, Giancarlo Stanton wasn’t in the lineup for Game 2 against Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander.

According to Aaron Boone, Stanton was available to pinch hit but was held out of the starting lineup with a right quadriceps strain, which was revealed in an MRI exam.

Boone said Stanton suffered the strain running to first base on a second-inning single. He remained in the game, caught Michael Brantley’s fly ball toward the left-field foul line in the fourth and homered in the sixth. Two innings later, Cameron Maybin replaced Stanton in left, but the manager said that was a routine move and not injury related.

Boone said he wasn’t made aware of the situation until after Saturday night’s victory.

“Giving him [Sunday off] and the off day [Monday], hopefully it is something that he can come back from but we will see,’’ Boone said of Stanton, who appeared in just 18-regular season games due to a left biceps strain and a sprained right knee.

After returning from the injured list Sept. 18, Stanton played in nine games, hit .286 (8-for-28) with two homers and six RBIs. In four postseason game Stanton went 3-for-10 with a homer, two RBIs and four walks.

With Stanton not available to start, Boone said he mulled using Aaron Hicks, who hasn’t played in a big-league game since Aug. 3 due to a right flexor tendon problem, in center field but opted to go another way. Brett Gardner started in center and Maybin in left.

If Stanton doesn’t respond to treatment and rest, there is a possibility he could be dropped from the ALCS roster and be replaced, possibly by Luke Voit. Should that happen, Stanton wouldn’t be eligible to play in the World Series should the Yankees get there.

“I don’t know,’’ Boone said about the possibility of Stanton being removed from the roster. “We are hoping through the off day that helps. We will try to take advantage of these two days. He will hit and get ready in case we need something.’’

GM Brian Cashman didn’t believe Stanton’s latest injury would lead to an extended absence.

“I don’t think it’s a long-term concern,” Cashman said. “Obviously clearly, we’re dropping him into the deep end of the pool because of playoff baseball. … The time frame of getting him ready, it’s not like a spring training, where you get to start three games out on your legs then pull him from the defensive side then the next week you get him up to five innings then the next week you get him up to nine innings, then back-to-backs,’’ Cashman said. “Not having that ability, his return to play protocol has been truncated. It’s a worry of ours because of that. But again, this time of year, you have to do what you have to do to make sure you can put him in the lineup.’’

Cashman said there are no further tests planned and that, like Boone, he didn’t learn of the problem until after Game 1.

Having used the IL 39 times for 30 players — it would have been more if Gary Sanchez and Edwin Encarnacion were hurt in any other month but September — Cashman was asked about being frustrated about the latest injury.

“It is what it is. It doesn’t matter frustration, no frustration, it’s just Cam gets the shot now and I’m thankful, when we were pressing with what to do with our roster before this series started, we made a tough choice to put Hicks on,’’ Cashman said. “Now that’s going to play into this more so because of this. Another person gets an opportunity and [we’ll] see what he makes of it. So far that has served us well all year, but it’s not how you draw it up.’’

The postgame news on Stanton took some of the shine off a well-played Yankees victory on Saturday.

“I came down after the game obviously very pleased with the result. My trainer gave me a ‘I need to talk to you.’ I’ve been through that round enough. It’s part of the process,’’ Cashman said.