Aaron Hicks didn’t look like someone who hadn’t started a game since early August.

After missing more than two months with a strained flexor strain near his right elbow (suffered while making a throw), Hicks reentered the lineup against the Astros and Gerrit Cole, hitting ninth in the Yankees’ 4-1 loss to Houston in Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium.

Asked before the game what his expectations were for Hicks, manager Aaron Boone smiled and said: “A couple homers [and a] walk.”

Hicks wasn’t able to give the Yankees any power, but he did provide some of the best at-bats of the day.

He started off with a 10-pitch walk with two outs in the second. DJ LeMahieu followed with a single up the middle, as the Yankees threatened against Cole each of the first two innings.

Hicks was stranded at second, but walked again with two outs in the fourth, moving Gio Urshela to second. LeMahieu hit a ball to deep center, but George Springer caught it to end the inning.

“I tried to get him down since it seemed like he was pitching at the top of the zone,’’ Hicks said. “I wanted the pitches to be down and try to hit it solid. I did a good job of laying off high pitches.”

Hicks got an at-bat in the Yankees’ Game 2 loss, when he pinch hit for Cameron Maybin and grounded to first to lead off the top of the 10th against side-armer Joe Smith.

Before the game, Boone speculated about what he would see from Hicks, who has been bothered by injuries for much of the season. As for his arm, Hicks said it responded well to his first real action in the outfield since the injury.

“The big question mark is: He hasn’t played in a couple of months so that’s the challenge,’’ Boone said. “I feel good about the fact that he got in there in Game 2 and felt like he had a really good at-bat, a very Aaron Hicks-like at-bat, where he’s taking pitches with ease. He hit the ball hard.”

And he was confident Hicks was ready for the spotlight of the postseason, despite the time off.

“I feel like Aaron likes this stage,’’ Boone said. “The more important it is, usually he’s better off for that. … The good thing about Aaron is usually whether he’s going well or not, usually he’s a tough at-bat and like that at the bottom of our order.”

Afterward, Boone said he was “encouraged” by what he saw.

“Those were two pretty big-time at-bats against Cole on his walks,’’ Boone said, noting what he called the “signature patience” of Hicks.