Thunder's Steve Garrison - a Ewing native - was injured in Tuesday's game. Trentonian File Photo

TRENTON — After an early exit yesterday, it seems Thunder starter and Trenton native Steve Garrison is headed back to what throughout his career has become an all-too-familiar place — the disabled list.

A strained groin led to Garrison’s exit after just one inning in yesterday’s 5-2 Thunder loss to the Portland Sea Dogs, leaving the work on the mound up to a patchwork crew of relievers.

“It was just something that I couldn’t make my pitches with and I couldn’t execute my pitches with,” he said. “When I knew I couldn’t make my pitches out there, I didn’t want to hurt the team any more than I was already.”

Since 2008, the left-hander has had surgeries to repair a partially torn left rotator cuff, to clean up his left labrum, and to fix a tear in his right ACL.

A sprained ankle of July 18 of last year put him on the shelf until Sept. 6, when he was waived by the Padres and claimed by the Yankees at the suggestion of Kevin Towers, then a special advisor with the club.

It wasn’t spelled out explicitly yesterday, but it seems likely that Garrison will have to miss at least a start.

“We don’t know yet. I just don’t know,” manager Tony Franklin said. “In the past, we’ve always been very cautious with our injuries, as you know. We’re going to give him the time he needs. That’s for sure.”

If that is the case, his absence will create another hole in the Thunder’s rotation, which has also been without Graham Stoneburner since the middle of last month. Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos have also spent time on the shelf — both with blisters — leaving Shaeffer Hall as the only Trenton starter to stay healthy through the season’s first five weeks.

Early candidates to fill Garrison’s spot are Cory Arbiso and Kei Igawa, both of whom pitched in yesterday’s loss.

Aside from the mounting injuries, yesterday’s loss also continued Trenton’s trend of uninspired play during day games. The team is now 1-6 in those contests, and manager Tony Franklin mentioned after Monday’s win that he was worried how his team would come out for the morning affair.

“I told them (Sunday night), it’s not OK to win a couple of games, have a quick turnaround and come out flat without any enthusiasm or passion to play,” he said. “That’s been a trend, and we have to stop this trend.”

Obviously, the trend continued, and it looked obvious early that it was going to happen once again.

Before Garrison left, he permitted two runs to the Sea Dogs, both of which could have been avoided were it not for a throw from Yadil Mujica that skipped in and out of first baseman Addison Maruszak’s glove to begin the game.

An out later, Tim Federowicz’s groundout and Ryan Lavarnway’s single gave Portland an early 2-0 cushion.

In the bottom half of the second inning, it was the Thunder’s offense’s turn to disappoint.

Brad Suttle opened with a triple, and had Cody Johnson, Jose Gil and Ray Kruml coming up.

No man hit a ball out of the infield, and Suttle was stranded.

“That’s always frustrating,” Franklin said. “It’s almost like a gimme, but the guy on the mound has something to do with it as well. We just didn’t make it happen today.”