BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Oakland Regulars May Sit Out Spring Opener

All the Oakland A’s regular starters may sit out the spring opener Monday against the Chicago Cubs.

“I’m not sure any of our guys are going to be ready for that game,” pitching coach Dave Duncan said Thursday in naming Joe Slusarski as the Athletics’ starter against the Cubs at Phoenix Stadium.

“I’m considering Stew (Dave Stewart) for the second game. But I’ll only let him go three innings max, and I’ll be counting pitches carefully.”

Duncan said he will probably follow Slusarski with roster prospects Joe Klink, who led the Class AA Southern League with 26 saves last season, and Reese Lambert, who has been in the A’s farm system for five years.

Pascual Perez, the last of the New York Yankee’s no-show players, is scheduled to arrive at spring camp Saturday morning, the club said.

Perez, a 32-year-old pitcher, signed with the Yankees last winter for $5.7 million over three years. He missed his scheduled appearance at spring training camp today.

Perez, delayed by visa problems, originally was expected to fly out of the Dominican Republic on Thursday night after picking up his visa that afternoon. According to Peter Jameson, the Yankees’ assistant to the general manager, the pitcher picked up his visa but not his prepaid plane ticket to Florida.

Jameson spoke to Perez’s wife, Marisela, this morning and was told that Perez was “gathering his things.” The Yankees then arranged for a flight later today out of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, but Jameson couldn’t guarantee Perez would make the flight.

Later in the day, Yankees General Manager Pete Peterson said that he was able to reach Perez by telephone and that the pitcher had made arrangements to fly out Saturday.

“I’m satisfied with what he said to us,” Peterson said. “He had some personal problems that he needed to take care of. We’re not overly concerned. We’re confident that he’ll be in shape and ready to pitch.”

Dwight Gooden isn’t making any predictions about Opening Day. He just wants everyone to know he’s throwing fine.

On Thursday, with Mets officials looking on, Gooden threw hard as he pitched batting practice for the first time this spring.

“It felt easy,” Gooden said. “I’m happy with the way it went.”

Gooden pitched for 11 minutes, and Manager Davey Johnson estimated that his ace threw in the high 80s m.p.h. Gooden said he was throwing at about 75%.