So close. The Yankees were so near to a full buffet of pitchers from which to build a postseason staff. But that’s not how it works for the 2019 Yankees.

Dellin Betances did a tiny pirouette last Sunday to celebrate a two-batter, two-strikeout season debut and incurred a slight tear of his Achilles tendon, finishing his season.

On Thursday, Domingo German was placed on administrative leave via the joint MLB-Players Association domestic violence policy. The initial leave is up to seven days. But MLB would not have moved this quickly — without a police report and without union objection — unless it had what it believes is a significant violation. Thus, without a shocking reversal, German is facing a suspension that will end his season, too.

German’s issue supersedes baseball — October baseball included. But for on-field purposes, losing Betances and German removes two big-arm options craved in October.

“I don’t look at it as frustrating,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. “I look at it as a problem to solve. We have to figure out what we are going to do. You would love to have those two guys obviously. But we don’t, so we have to move forward.”

So the Yankees collect as much information as possible. They are weighing whether to use J.A. Happ as a starter or Chad Green as an opener and the lefty’s work Friday night in a 4-3 Blue Jay victory failed to offer clarity. He either was terrifically good or awfully superb. Happ had what Aaron Boone termed his best fastball of the season, continued to use it up in the zone more frequently and effectively than any point this season, walked none and held Toronto to two runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings. Yet, the Blue Jays persistently squared up Happ, launching eight balls better than 95 mph.

No matter who starts, the October plan is to get to the pen in early and often. But what is the likelihood that five, six or more pitchers will all have it on the same night?

In Adam Ottavino’s last outing, Wednesday against the Angels, he was bad and the Yankees lost. On Friday, he struck out the only two Blue Jays he faced on the minimum six pitches. Tommy Kahnle took over and yielded the losing two-run homer.

Still, in some form Green, Happ, Kahnle, Ottavino, James Paxton, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton will be part of the October staff. Boone said CC Sabathia will be used twice in relief before the end of the season to prepare him for postseason bullpen work.

That’s 10 pitchers. Betances and German would have been 12. The Yanks insist that no final number has been reached, that in part the opponent will dictate staff size. But the loss of German’s multi-inning potential might force them to 13. As Rothschild said, “You want to err on the side of having too much rather than too little so you don’t have to leave guys out there too long if you don’t have to.”

Chance Adams is out. The Yankees believe the 42 innings Nestor Cortes Jr. threw as part of winter ball combined with his workload at Triple-A and the major leagues has diminished his stuff. Jordan Montgomery, returning from Tommy John surgery, probably does not have time to transition to the pen.

Luis Cessa is the most likely 11th man. If the Yankees take righty Cory Gearrin, might they want to match him with a lefty complement such as Tyler Lyons or Stephen Tarpley? Could Ben Heller be part of this? Jonathan Loaisiga?

Obviously, it would have been easier with Betances and German.

“We can’t allow ourselves to think in those terms,” Ottavino said. “All year we have dealt with guys going down. Ultimately, we pushed forward. That is the mindset. I can see the [short-handed] angle. But I don’t think we will go there mentally.”

Physically — even without Betances and German — the Yankees intend to throw numbers at getting 27 outs. As Brian Cashman said, “That is the nature of the postseason now even for teams that have strong rotations.”

Perhaps the Yankees’ rotation will surprise. Paxton has been better the past two months, Happ has been better the past few weeks, Tanaka historically is strong in the postseason and Britton described Severino, “as huge, like acquiring a No. 1 starter late in the season.” But Rothschild cautioned “you do whatever you have to in order to win a game” in October. So it is all arms on deck.

Of course, there is still a week-plus left to make final determinations. When it was mentioned to Rothschild that is enough time in this star-crossed Yankees season to wonder who will be available for Division Series Game 1, the pitching coach laughed, shook his head and walked away.