BALTIMORE — Through the small sample size of two starts, Clarke Schmidt’s career-long problem is continuing to haunt him.

The Yankees starter added a cutter this offseason in hopes of neutralizing opposing lefty batters, who always have swung well (.797 OPS last season) against the righty.

The early returns have been poor and were accentuated Friday in a 7-6 loss at Camden Yards.

Schmidt allowed four runs in 3 ¹/₃ innings on five hits and three walks, putting the Yankees in a 4-0 hole.

The bulk of the damage was done by Baltimore’s lefty swingers, who went 4-for-9 with two walks against Schmidt.

After Schmidt’s two starts — both Yankees losses — opposing hitters are a combined 8-for-19 with three walks and two home runs against him.

Schmidt said he is still pleased with his cutter, which he is leaning upon plenty against lefties, but believes he needs to better learn when to use it.

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“It’s a new pitch. I think that’s probably the No. 1 thing is when to use it and how to use it,” Schmidt said after the Yankees’ bats got them back into the game before the bullpen blew it. “That’s what we’re going through right now. … Continuing to learn the spots to use it in is definitely the next step.”

The Orioles scored twice in the second inning against Schmidt, who surrendered a single to lefty Gunnar Henderson.

Two batters later, lefty Adam Frazier’s single drove Henderson in.

In the third, Schmidt walked lefty-swinging Adley Rutschman.

Lefty-swinging Anthony Santander then doubled. Two batters later, Henderson came through for an RBI double.

“Stuff seemed fine,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schmidt, who could be optioned or moved to the bullpen when Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon return. “Too many mistakes at times, and obviously, the walks hurt him a little bit today.”

In a bit of a surprise, the Yankees held on to Estevan Florial, who cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees designated the talented, if raw, outfielder for assignment Saturday, two days after they signed outfielder Franchy Cordero.

They allowed Florial to hit waivers, but no team claimed the 25-year-old, who was the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in 2019, but has never turned promise into major league production.

Florial has struck out 21 times in 63 career MLB plate appearances, his contact problem following him from the minors to the majors.

But he put together his best Triple-A season last year when he posted an .850 OPS in 101 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He fought this spring for an Opening Day job.

Florial, who is out of options, made it to Game 1 — when he pinch-ran for Giancarlo Stanton — but not to Game 2. The 28-year-old Cordero, who smacked his first home run with the Yankees on Friday, has replaced him in the majors.

“We’ve been through a lot with Flo. Such a great kid,” Boone said after Florial was designated. “The one thing that I tried to remind him and encourage him is he’s still a young man with a ton of talent.”

Severino (lat strain) threw from 120 feet Thursday, Boone said, which “went really well.”

Severino is expected to throw his first bullpen session since his injury on Sunday.

Rodon (left forearm strain) faced hitters Wednesday for the first time since his injury and came through well.

Rodon, who is now building up on a five-day schedule, next will throw a simulated game Monday.

Boone said the club believes Michael King, whose velocity was down Tuesday, “is healthy.”

King, who has given up eight hits in three innings a season after he fractured his elbow, has said he needs to do a “deep dive” into his mechanics. The Yankees believe it is a mechanical issue and not a health concern.

With a ninth-inning walk, Aaron Judge extended his career-best on-base streak to 40 games. It is the third-longest such streak by a Yankee in the last 19 seasons, trailing Luke Voit and Mark Teixeira (both 42).