Padres to Activate Gossage Today; Hoyt Still ‘Day-to-Day’ but Improving

The Padres could be a little healthier in the standings, but they can’t complain about the latest health reports concerning their pitching staff.

Goose Gossage will be activated for this afternoon’s game against Montreal and LaMarr Hoyt may be back sooner than expected.

Gossage, who leads the team with 21 saves, has not pitched since July 30 because of arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for articulating cartilage. He admittedly is not 100%, but he feels good enough to pitch in game situations.

“If I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t be coming back,” Gossage said Saturday. “The knee probably won’t ever be 100%, but you don’t know. They say if it ever gets to 100%, it will take a year. It hasn’t been a year yet. A lot of times when you pitch, you’re not 100%. If you pitch four days in a row, you’re not 100% because of fatigue.”

Hoyt, meanwhile, was not fatigued after throwing in the outfield before Saturday’s game. He has not pitched since Aug. 18 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

“We had some encouragement today when he threw long in the outfield and seemed to be improved,” pitching coach Galen Cisco said. “I think the outlook is better after today. When you have something like he has, it takes time but you don’t know how much time. As long as he’s improving, there’s a good chance he’ll pitch (again this year).”

Cisco said the Padres will know more about Hoyt when he throws from the mound Monday. Until then, Hoyt is considered on a “day-to-day” basis.

If Hoyt is unable to pitch in the next three days, which appears unlikely, Manager Dick Williams said he has scheduled Roy Lee Jackson to start Wednesday against the New York Mets.

Williams said he is uncertain how much Gossage will pitch upon his return. Most likely, Gossage won’t pitch more than an inning in his first couple of appearances.

“We’ll see what the game situation is and how much he feels he can go,” Williams said. “He’s not too sure how he’ll react, but Goose is ready.”

Predictably, the non-committal Gossage wasn’t making any predictions.

“This is something I’ve never been through,” he said. “It’s a little different than run-of-the-mill cartilage. Hopefully, I’ll pitch an inning at a time to see how it’ll be. I can’t predict how I’ll feel after I throw or have to field a ball.”

The Padres will recall four pitchers today from Triple-A Las Vegas--right-handers Greg Booker, Luis DeLeon and Ed Wojna and left-hander Bob Patterson. Outfielder Jerry Davis will also be brought up.

Booker was 0-1 with a 6.98 earned-run average in 14 games for the Padres before being optioned to Las Vegas on June 14. He was 1-1 in 10 games for Las Vegas.

DeLeon was 0-3 with 2 saves and a 4.26 ERA in 23 games for the Padres before being optioned July 9. He was 2-1 in nine games for Las Vegas.

Wojna was 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA in eight games for the Padres. In two stints at Las Vegas, he had a 4-8 record in 17 games before starting Saturday night.

Patterson was 10-11 in 42 games in a full season at Las Vegas. Davis batted .308 for the Padres before being optioned to Las Vegas on Aug. 9. He was batting .286 with nine RBIs for Las Vegas before Saturday.