NEW YORK – Max Fried has been that rare worry-free Yankees pitcher in 2025, regularly performing at the top of his game.

But on Saturday afternoon, the All-Star lefty exited after a shaky three-inning start due to a blister on his left index finger.

Cubs’ veteran lefty Matthew Boyd kept the Yankees guessing across eight shutout innings, in a 5-2 victory that ended the Yanks’ five-game winning streak.

Aaron Judge doubled twice off Boyd and belted his 35th homer of the year, a two-run shot, off Brad Keller in the eighth. The Yanks had the tying run on deck when Cubs’ closer Daniel Palencia got the final out.

Manager Aaron Boone had yet to announce his rotation order coming out of the All-Star break, with the Yankees in Atlanta for three games beginning Friday.

Named last week to the All-Star Game at Atlanta, where he spent the first nine years of his career, Fried’s Saturday start took him out of consideration to pitch Tuesday for the AL.

Yankees teammate Carlos Rodon was selected to the AL All-Star squad to replace Fried.

Fried needed 28 pitches to navigate through the first inning, where Cubs leadoff man Nico Hoerner tripled and scored on a Kyle Tucker groundout.

In a scoreless second inning, Fried still walked No. 9 hitter Jon Berti on four pitches before getting Hoerner to line out to end the inning, stranding two runners.

Fried gave up three runs – two earned – in the third inning and did not come out for the fourth.

Chicago collected four hits in the third, including a Seiya Suzuki double, while second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s throwing error preceded an RBI single by Ian Happ.

Fried has experienced blister issues in the past, including during his first spring training with the Yanks.

Signed to a $218 million, eight-year free agent contract this past offseason, Fried took an 11-2 record and 2.27 ERA into Saturday’s start.

Now at 122 innings across 20 starts, Fried is on pace to exceed his single season career innings total of 185.1 (including one postseason start) in 2022 with the Braves.

Before the game, Boone said he had “no plans to skip’’ Fried in the rotation, due to his innings totals.

Still, “you’re paying close attention in more ways than one now,’’ Boone said of how Fried is “bouncing back’’ and “recovering’’ between starts.

“I hope it’s a year where he does go past it,’’ Boone said of Fried’s innings. “He’s in the prime of his carer and I think he’s an athlete that can handle that.

“That being said, you’re extremely mindful of it.’’

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Max Fried exits due to blister, Yankees’ win streak ends at 5