PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Clements Just Glad to Be Here

Left-handed reliever Pat Clements, who wondered during the winter if he’d ever be back in the big leagues, found himself sitting in the Padre clubhouse Saturday.

“I won’t analyze why I’m here,” Clements said, “I’m just glad I am here.”

Clements was quite curious, and frankly, a little concerned when he showed up Friday afternoon at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. He immediately was summoned into Manager Jim Riggleman’s office.

He knew he couldn’t be called up, because the Padres just called up left-handed reliever Steve Rosenberg. He couldn’t be domoted, he just got there. Come on, released?

“I guess just about everything ran through my mind,” Clements said.

Never in his wildest imagination did he envision that Riggleman would say: “You’re going back to the big leagues.”

“I’m still a little confused,” Clements said, “but I’ll take it.”

Clements was called up for the simple reason that Rosenberg is ineligible to pitch in the big leagues until Wednesday. In an oversight, the Padres did not realize that Rosenberg had to be in the minors for 10 days before being called up. But since Clements was a non-roster player, he was the obvious choice to help stabilize a beleaguered bullpen.

“I really can’t say this is the craziest thing that’s happened to me,” said Clements, who has spent parts of the past six years in the big leagues. “Remember, I used to play with the Yankees. And with the Yankees, you never knew who your teammates were from one day to the next.”

Toronto outfielder Joe Carter was the early leader for our ex-Padre of the week award, hitting .333 with four doubles, one homer and six RBIs. And San Francisco’s Kevin Mitchell (five homers) got consideration, although points were subtracted when he charged the mound against his ex-teammates Wednesday night.

So the winner was Angel outfielder Dave Winfield, for his five-hit, three-homer performance Saturday night against the Twins.

Around the bases the first week with ex-Padres:

No one in Kansas City offically has said that Mark Davis no longer is their bullpen stopper, but the evidence speaks for itself. Davis has yet to appear in their first three games. Jeff Montgomery already has two saves. . . . Remember Jimmy Jones? He’s made the Astro starting rotation and will make his debut with them today at the Astrodome where he made his major-league debut with the Padres. In that game, he threw a one-hitter, allowing only a triple by Bob Knepper on Sept. 21, 1986. . . . Chris James, the Cleveland Indians’ designated hitter, has been dropped from third to seventh in the lineup. Apparently, Indians Manager John McNamara remembers James’ history of slow starts. He batted .122 (five for 41) in the month of April last season. . . . Who says Twins third baseman Mike Pagliarulo isn’t doing any damage with his bat? He was so late getting around on Dave Stewart’s fastball that he he hit a line drive into the Oakland Athletics’ dugout, breaking reliever Gene Nelson’s finger, and putting him on the disabled list. . . . How excited was Jack Clark about his grand slam Tuesday in the Boston Red Sox’s opener? “It was my second-biggest thrill after my homer off (Tom) Niedenfuer (in the 1985 playoffs). No, now that I think of it, it was my biggest thrill. Yeah, this is it.” . . . Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar had two sacrifice bunts Wednesday, surprising the Blue Jay fans: “My father taught me to play for the team, not for myself. That’s what a No. 2 hitter is supposed to do.” . . . Reliever Goose Gossage, who made the Texas Rangers, has surprised everyone by hitting 90 m.p.h. once again on the radar gun: “The more I pitched, the better I got. That’s been my history throughout my career. I knew I could do it.” . . . Eric Show, who had back problems in San Diego, was placed on the disabled list Thursday with an infected thumb, forcing the Athletics to juggle their starting rotation in the first week of the season, using rookie Joe Slusarski.

Dennis Rasmussen, on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left shoulder, threw for 20 minutes (throwing 91 pitches) Saturday before the game. He’s scheduled to pitch his first simulated game Wednesday. “I felt great, I really did,” Rasmussen said. “The big question, I guess, is how I’ll feel (Sunday).” . . . Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, upon greeting Greg Harris Saturday: “Thank you, thank you very much, sir. You saved us.” . . . The Padres were impressed with the effort Friday nighht by Ricky Bones at triple-A Las Vegas. He allowed three hits without a walk in six innings, striking out nine. . . . The Padres will conclude their three-game series against the Dodgers at 1:05 p.m. today. Ed Whitson and Mike Morgan are the scheduled starters.