Padre Notebook : Hoyt May Be Throwing on Sidelines by Friday

LaMarr Hoyt’s itinerary is becoming clearer. He will leave his Minnesota rehabilitation center on Thursday, fly back to San Diego, take care of his rent payments, etc., and he’ll join the Padres definitely on Friday.

“Hopefully,” Manager Steve Boros said Tuesday, “he’ll throw that day (Friday) on the side.”

But he likely won’t talk to the media Friday. Sources say Hoyt -- at the beckoning of his doctors -- will issue only a statement at first. Later, it’s expected that he’ll answer questions about his bout with alcoholism. The point here is that the doctors want him to get acclimated again to baseball first.

The Padre pitching itinerary is clearer as well. The team opens the season with four games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, then comes home for three games with Cincinnati and three more with the Dodgers. Then, there’s four games up in San Francisco against the Giants.

No days off.

So the four-man rotation of Eric Show, Dave Dravecky, Andy Hawkins and Mark Thurmond (in that order) will pitch those first 14 games for sure. After that, Hoyt will be worked into the rotation, depending on his progress, and he could start his first game as early as in Cincinnati on April 22 and 23 or in San Diego against the Giants on April 25.

San Diego released infielder Mario Ramirez shortly after batting practice Tuesday. This doesn’t mean Ramirez reports to Triple-A; This means he’s gone--waived.

Not that Ramirez is stunned.

“Before I came I knew I wouldn’t make the team,” he said Tuesday.

Now, how did he know that?

Because teams are going to the 24-man roster, he said.

Because the Padres are going to keep second baseman Bip Roberts, he said.

But Ramirez was stunned when told he was waived.

“I thought I’d go to Triple-A,” Ramirez said. “But after batting practice, Steve called me in and said he had a couple of young guys down there (namely, infielders Gary Green and Joey Cora). I said: ‘Young? I’m only 28?’ ”

Ramirez was a backup shortstop on the 1984 pennant-winning team. He had the same role last season. Now, Boros says Tim Flannery will be shortstop Garry Templeton’s replacement, and Jerry Royster also will be used there.

Check out this score: The Padres lost to Cleveland on Tuesday, 12-9. Offense was back. For the Padres, Kevin McReynolds and Graig Nettles hit their first home runs of the spring. Tony Gwynn extended his hitting streak to 11 games, and John Kruk came off the bench again with a double to deep center.