Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports

Randy Miler | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK — The Yankees need starting pitching help.

ASAP ... and probably down the road, too.

For sure, they need to add someone in the next few days because they’re down to four healthy starters.

Also, they definitely could use another ace - or something close to it - to fortify themselves for possible playoff matches against three other American League powers that have better starting pitching ... the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox.

This past week was a tough one for the Yankees' rotation, as No. 5 starter Jordan Montgomery underwent Tommy John surgery a few days after thinking he was close to returning from an elbow strain and No. 2 Masahiro Tanaka will probably miss at least a month after suffering left and right hamstring strains running the bases in Friday night’s Subway Series win over the Mets.

The Yankees' best-in-baseball record is up to 42-18 after they beat the Mets again 4-3 on Saturday night, but all this winning isn’t hiding their obvious need for starting pitching reinforcements for the time being and October baseball.

Here's a look at some of the Yankees’ internal options as a fill in for Tanaka and external ones that could be available before the July 31 trade deadline:

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John Bazemore | AP

External option: Jacob deGrom, RHP

Current club: New York Mets.

Age: 29 (30 on June 19).

2018 stats: 4-1, 1.57 ERA, 13 starts, 80.1 IP, 58 hits, 16 runs, 14 ER, 4 HR, 23 BB, 106 K.

Contract: $7.4 million for 2018. Can become free agent after 2020 season.

The skinny: The Mets surely don't want to trade deGrom, who is leading the NL in ERA and under team control for two more years after this season, but their freefalling 27-34 ballclub needs a lot of help and the Yankees' have baseball's deepest farm system. A trade for deGrom could be the Yankees' final puzzle piece to a World Series championship. The price for deGrom probably would be astronomical because he's not close to becoming a free agent, but the Yankees could withstand giving up two of their many very good pitching prospects plus any two minor-league position players not named Estevan Florial.

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Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports

Internal option: Luis Cessa, RHP

Current club: New York Yankees (disabled list).

Age: 26 (27 on April 25, 2019).

2018 stats: Yankees, 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 3 games, 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 5 K.

The skinny: Cessa is a candidate to replace Tanaka in the rotation either next week or later on. He's been on the DL since April 18 with a left oblique strain, but he's been throwing in extended spring training and is scheduled to throw 60 pitches for high A Tampa on Monday. Would the Yankees activate Cessa later in the week and start him next Friday on short rest? Maybe, but regardless he'll probably be an option for the Yankees rotation pretty soon if someone else comes up from the minors to make a spot start or two and struggles.

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Ben Margot | AP

External option: Madison Bumgarner, LHP

Current club: San Francisco Giants.

Age: 28 (29 on Aug. 1).

2018 stats: Giants, 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 1 start, 6 IP, 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 3 K.

Contract: Making $12 million in the first of two club option seasons that remain in a five-year, $35-million contract that will end up being a six- or seven-year deal. Has another $12 million club option for next season and can become a free agent either after 2018 (if the option isn't picked up) or following the 2019 campaign.

The skinny: There are a lot of question marks regarding Bumgarner as a trade target because he's only one game into his return from a late spring broken finger and because the Giants, 32-32 through Saturday, still could be trade-deadline buyers or sellers. If Bumgarner is pitching well come July and available, the Giants could fetch a huge return because he's been a great regular-season pitcher and the three-time World Series champ has been even better going 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA in 16 postseason outings.

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Beverly Schaefer | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Internal option: Jonathan Loasiga, RHP

Current club: Trenton Thunder (AA).

Age: 23 (24 on Nov. 2).

2018 stats: Trenton (AA), 3-0, 3.13 ERA, 5 starts, 23 IP, 24 hits, 8 runs, 8 ER, 4 HR, 3 BB, 28 K. Tampa (high A), 3-0, 1.35 ERA, 20 IP, 19 hits, 3 runs, 3 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 26 K.

The skinny: Loasiga is a candidate to double-jump to the big leagues as a fill-in starter for Tanaka this week even though he began the season in A ball and hasn't pitched in Triple-A yet. The Nicaraguan is smallish as a 5-11, 165 pounder, but he throws very hard, he's a strike thrower and he's been consistently good, as he's allowed one or no runs in all but two of his starts.

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Kelvin Kuo | AP

External option: Cole Hamels, LHP

Current club: Texas Rangers.

Age: 34 (35 on Dec. 27).

2018 stats: Rangers, 3-6, 3.86 ERA, 13 starts, 79.1 IP, 69 hits, 38 runs, 34 ER, 17 HR, 29 BB, 79 K.

Contract: Making 22.5 million in 2018 and has a $20 million club option or $6 million buyout for 2019 remaining on a six-year, $144-million contract extension that he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25, 2012.

The skinny: Hamels isn't what he was in his Phillies' heyday, but he'd still be the No. 2 on the Yankees' behind ace Luis Severino even though this season he's been a little inconsistent and ranks second in the majors with 17 homers allowed. There have been rumors that the Yankees and Rangers already are talking about a trade, but it could be difficult getting to the finish line on a deal due to Hamels' contract. Yanks GM Brian Cashman has orders from management to stay under the luxury-tax threshold and adding even half or a third of Hamels' remaining money for this year could be an issue. The Rangers probably would have to eat some money for the Yankees to take Hamels, but that could be accomplished by giving up better prospects. Hamels is getting up there in age, but he's still intriguing because he's had postseason success (2008 World Series MVP, 3.48 ERA in 16 outings) and he's still one of the best in the game when he's on.

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Todd Hiller | Scranton | Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Internal option: David Hale, RHP

Current club: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA)

Age: 30 (31 on Sept. 27).

2018 stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), 2-2, 4.58 ERA, 7 starts, 35.1 IP, 39 hits, 18 runs, 18 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 26 K. Yankees, 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 2 games, 5 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 2 HR, 0 BB, 5 K. Minnesota Twins, 0-0, 12.00 ERA, 3 games, 8 IP, 11 hits, 6 runs, 6 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB, 7 K.

The skinny: Hale is a candidate to take Tanaka's open rotation spot. He has the most Major League experience of any Yankees farmhand (60 games, 20 starts) and was on their big club for two stints earlier this year. Also, the Princeton alum has pitched well of late, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA over his last two starts.

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Derik Hamilton | AP

External option: J.A. Happ, LHP

Current club: Toronto Blue Jays.

Age: 35 (36 on Oct. 19).

2018 stats: Blue Jays, 8-3, 3.71 ERA, 13 starts, 77.2 IP, 62 hits, 35 runs, 32 ER, 10 HR, 22 BB, 90 K.

Contract: $13 million for 2018, the final season of a three-year, $36-million deal signed on Nov. 28, 2015. Can become free agent after the season.

The skinny: Perhaps because he's mostly pitched in small markets and he's not a hard thrower, Happ still seems to be underrated even though he's 57-38 with a 3.81 ERA in three seasons with Toronto, including 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA in his sensational 2016. His pricetag won't be anywhere near as high as deGrom or Bumgarner because he's a rental and usually a six-inning pitcher, but he could be like a second coming of Jimmy Key for the Yankees. Happ, by the way, has been on a roll lately with a 4-0 record and 2.20 ERA over his last five starts.

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Todd Hiller | Scranton/Wiilkes-Barre RailRiders

Internal option: Josh Rogers, LHP

Current club: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA).

Age: 23 (24 on July 10).

2018 stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), 5-5, 3.72 ERA, 12 starts, 67.2 IP, 76 hits, 31 runs, 28 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 59 K.

The skinny: Rogers isn't a hard thrower and he's not on the Yankees' 40-man roster, but the 2015 11th-round draft pick was on the radar for a possible call-up before being shelled for 11 runs over six innings in his last two outings. Rogers, however, has allowed two or fewer runs in eight of his 12 starts and there still could be an opportunity for him to get a first big-league call-up if he gets on a roll again in Triple-A.

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Duane Burleson | AP

External option: Michael Fulmer, RHP

Current club: Detroit Tigers.

Age: 25 (26 on March 15, 2019).

2018 stats: Tigers, 2-5, 4.40 ERA, 13 starts, 73.2 IP, 69 hits, 39 runs, 36 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB 62 K.

Contract: $575,500 in 2018. Can become free agent after 2022 season.

The skinny: The rebuilding Tigers still will ask for the sun and moon for Fulmer even though he's been inconsistent this season after being the AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and was an All-Star in 2017. He's good, but not in Jacob deGrom's class. The Yankees probably would be better off giving up a lot more to the Mets for deGrom, who is way more of a sure thing.

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Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Internal option: Justus Sheffield, LHP

Current club: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA).

Age: 22 (23 on May 13, 2019).

2018 stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), 1-2, 2.96 ERA, 6 starts, 27.1 IP, 16 hits, 11 runs, 9 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 27 K. Trenton (AA), 1-2, 2.25 ERA, 5 starts, 28 IP, 16 hits, 16 runs, 9 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 39 K.

The skinny: Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said on Saturday that "there are some finishing touches that need to be accomplished" with Sheffield, so the organization's No. 1 pitching prospect won't be getting a first big-league call-up this week to take Tanaka's rotation spot. Even though he's young and new to Triple-A, Sheffield has the talent to become big-league ready later this season and perhaps end 2018 in the Yankees' rotation, although that happening still must be considered a long shot. This year, he's allowed two or fewer runs in nine of his 11 starts, and in his last one allowed just one hit over six shutout innings.

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Yankees put Masahiro Tanaka on DL | What it means

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Orlando Ramirez | USA TODAY Sports

External option: Tyson Ross, RHP

Current club: San Diego Padres.

Age: 31 (32 on April 22, 2019).

2018 stats: Padres, 5-3, 3.43 ERA, 13 starts, 76 IP, 66 hits, 32 runs, 29 ER, 7 HR, 28 BB, 78 K.

Contract: $1.75 million contract for 2018. Can become free agent after season.

The skinny: Ross wouldn't be a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Yankees, but he could become a good backup plan if another veteran starter suffers a major injury later in the season. He's been a bargain for the Padres after signing a minor-league deal last December, as he's allowed three or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 13 starts.

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Phil McAuliffe | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Internal option: Domingo Acevedo, RHP

Current club: Trenton Thunder (AA).

Age: 24 (25 on March 6, 2019).

2018 stats: Trenton (AA), 1-1, 3.10 ERA, 5 games, 2 starts, 20.1 IP, 13 hits, 8 games, 7 starts, 1 HR, 8 BB, 16 K.

The skinny: Acevedo is a huge man (6-7, 250) with a very big arm, as he routinely pitches in the high 90s and has topped out at a ridiculous 103. He missed a lot of time early this season due to a blister on his throwing hand initially and then a freak concussion, but he rejoined Trenton in late May and has been piggybacking with another starter since while building up his pitch count. He's probably not a candidate to replace Tanaka this week, but he definitely has the ability to pitch his way into the Yankees' rotation at some point this season if there's still a need and he continues to progress.

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Jennifer Buchanan | USA TODAY Sports

External option: Chris Archer, RHP

Current club: Tampa Bay Rays (disabled list).

Age: 29 (30 on Sept. 26).

2018 stats: 3-4, 4.24 ERA, 13 starts, 76.1 IP, 76 hits, 37 runs, 36 ER, 9 HR, 26 BB, 76 K.

Contract: Making $6.25 million in 2018, the fifth season of a six-year, $25.5 million contract that includes a $7.5 million salary for 2019 plus a $9 million club option or $1.75 million buyout for 2020 and a $11 million club option or $250,00 buyout for 2021.

The skinny: The two-time All-Star would be a nice fit on the Yankees, and if they can get him, they'd have him under control for up to three more seasons beyond 2018 at reasonable money. Archer went on the 10-day DL on June 6 with a left abdominal strain, but he's scheduled to begin a throwing program next week and be activated fairly quickly. He's pitched very well of late, going 1-1 with a 1.14 ERA over his last four starts.

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.