- Kei Igawa was returned from Scranton and is active this evening. Grant Duff, who had been struggling of late, was placed on the 7-Day Disabled List with a shoulder injury. That keeps the roster at 22 players.

That it wasn't the elbow, on which he had surgery late last season, is a surprise and a bit of a concern. If this is a new injury, it could mean real trouble for the tall righty. He was running in the stands before the game, so that's a good sign.

- Cody Johnson, after two days away with the flu, is back in the lineup.

- Talked to Jose Pirela (through professional interpreter Dellin Betances) before the game about the adjustments he's made to get on his recent hot streak. You should see something in Saturday's paper about what's led him to this point.

- After tonight, the Thunder's next six games are against Binghamton and Portland, which are a combined 42-83. Then they play New Britain, which is 34-29.

TRENTON – If you like watching Double-A starting pitchers who were born in the 1970s, then the first 35 games of the Thunder’s season have been right up your alley.

In the first six weeks, Trenton has sent Kevin Millwood (1974) and Kei Igawa (1979) to the hill, and will send another ’70s baby to the mound tonight. The man this time is Carlos Silva (1979), who, like Millwood, is another one of the Yankees’ attempts at a reclamation project.

Silva was let go by the Cubs late this spring, and was signed by New York to a minor league contract on April 9, just two days into the minor league season.

He’s made two appearances with High-A Tampa, one for three innings on May 4, and a four-inning stint five days later. He’s allowed two runs on eight hits – one home run – two walks and a strikeout.

The change, of course, requires a little juggling in the Thunder’s rotation. Dellin Betances, originally scheduled to start tonight against Binghamton, will start the homestand finale on Sunday. Manny Banuelos will be pushed to Tuesday in Erie, where the team will begin a short road trip before returning to Waterfront Park on Friday.

Unlike Igawa, tonight’s start will not be Silva’s first in Trenton. With the Reading Phillies in 2001, he gave up seven runs on nine hits – two longballs – in seven innings against the Thunder, who were then an affiliate of the Red Sox.

∙∙∙

It seems all is fine with Tony Franklin after Thursday night’s health scare. He experienced chest pains 20 minutes before yesterday’s game, and was taken to St. Francis Medical Center with team physician Lou Fares.

He was back at the ballpark briefly yesterday morning, but won’t be back in uniform for a little while. In his stead, coach Justin Pope will take over the managerial duties. Franklin said yesterday by phone that he hopes to be back with the team when it travels to Reading, but there’s no set date at this time.

“I just need to take it easy for a few days,” Franklin said yesterday, noting that everything checked out fine at the hospital and that doctors assured them he did not have a heart attack.

Pope, trainer Tim Lentych and pitching coach Tommy Phelps went to see Franklin at the hospital but because of the hour, only Lentych was allowed to visit.

“He’s at home resting now,” Pope said yesterday. “Tim said he’s doing good.”

NOTES: Because Ray Kruml broke for second yesterday after being picked off by Binghamton starter Mark Cohoon, it went into the scorebook as a caught stealing. That meant it was the first time either he or Austin Krum had been pinched on the bases in 27 tries.

TRENTON – Those in attendance at Friday’s game between the Thunder and the Binghamton Mets will witness something that’s never happened at Waterfront Park – Kei Igawa will make his first home start in Double-A.

The left-hander on whom the Yankees invested $48 million five seasons ago skipped Double-A on his initial ascent through the minors. Now, in the final year of his deal, the time has come for him to make a start in Trenton.

That chance will come because Steve Garrison – a Hun School alumnus – has gone back to Tampa to rehab his strained left groin. That means there’s a spot in the rotation open for the foreseeable future.

“He pitched well the other day,” manager Tony Franklin said, referring to his start on Sunday in the team’s finale with the Akron Aeros. “(He was) a little shaky in the first two innings, but he settled down and gave the team a chance to win. That’s the only thing we can ask for from him.”

If it’s any indication as to how long the team expects Garrison to be away, reliever Brian Anderson – also on the disabled list – has moved into what was Garrison’s locker.

NOTES: Dellin Betances, yesterday’s starter, was expected to throw either five innings or 100 pitches, whichever came first. … Corban Joseph’s hitting streak ended on Saturday at 17 games. He started another one quickly, however, collecting three hits on Sunday. … Ray Kruml and Austin Krum have combined to steal 25 bases in as many tries.

TAMPA, Fla. – When the Yankees declined to add him to their 40-man roster, Lance Pendleton knew it meant a chance to show another organization what he could do on the mound. As optimistic as he was for that opportunity, the Texan was downright thrilled when it was Houston that called his name in December’s Rule 5 draft.

“I was really excited,” he said yesterday after a bullpen session at the Yankees’ minor league complex. “It’s a good experience to be taken in that Rule 5 draft, and (with) a hometown team. It was really exciting to have that experience and opportunity. Wish it would have worked out, but you can’t cry over spilled milk.”

Ultimately, poor control spelled the end of his brief Astros’ audition. He gave up nine hits and issued eight walks over 7 2/3 innings with Houston before being returned to the Yankees earlier this week.

He’s slated to return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start 2011, this time in a bullpen role. He was scheduled to be a reliever last season with the Thunder, but an early injury to Christian Garcia pushed him quickly back into the rotation.

Even though he’d prefer to be plying his trade in the major leagues, Pendleton says ready to begin a new phase in his development.

“It’s just going to be a different routine, something to learn. It’ll be good to get that opportunity and experience that way, and that way it’s just another aspect of my game I can learn.”

…

The whispers around camp about Kei Igawa’s possible assignment to Trenton have gotten louder in recent days. Word is the organization has grown frustrated with the left-hander blocking the progress of some of their other relievers, like Josh Schmidt, who has produced excellent numbers in Double-A each of the last two seasons but has barely sniffed Scranton.

Although he’s been a massive bust as far as the big club is concerned, Igawa, 31, would be a boon for the Thunder’s bullpen.

Over his four seasons with Triple-A, Igawa has produced a 32-22 mark with a 3.87 ERA and 361 strikeouts against 123 walks. The win total also stands as the best in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre history.

…

There’s another intriguing name that’s begun getting mentioned as a possibility for the Thunder’s relief corps: Brian Anderson, the former outfielder with the White Sox.

Eight seasons after Chicago made him its first-round selection, Anderson signed a minor-league deal this offseason to try to resurrect his career – as a pitcher.

If he were to make the Thunder’s bullpen, he certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher they’ve had who’s comfortable with a bat in his hand.

Wilkin De La Rosa, now with the Dodgers, as well as Marlins reliever Mike Dunn both started their careers as outfielders in New York’s system. When they failed to produce at the plate, the Yankees took advantage of their strong arms by converting them to pitchers.

So far, it seems to have taken quite well for Dunn, who, despite being dealt twice in the past two offseasons – once for Javier Vazquez and once for Dan Uggla –has established himself as a powerful left-handed specialist.

…

Once again, heavy rains in the Tampa area – estimates at the airport were in the 4-inch range – forced cancellation of all scheduled minor league games at the Yankees’ minor-league complex. Tomorrow, depending on how the fields in Dunedin fared, the upper-level work groups are scheduled to play Toronto’s affiliates on the road.

On Sunday, the final day of camp, the Yankees will hold a pair of split-squad games before the team breaks camp and players begin the journey toward their various destinations.

Photos are, clockwise from top right: Wilkin De La Rosa, David Adams' glove, Frank Menechino, Kei Igawa (and his fabulous blue glove), Damon Sublett and D.J. Mitchell.