PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Padre Whitson to Be Added Team’s Growing Disabled List

As of Tuesday, pitcher Ed Whitson will become the 10th Padre to be placed on the disabled list this season.

The veteran righthander has been bothered by a sore pitching elbow for almost a month, and was forced to miss his turn Saturday night. His consignment to the DL will be retroactive to last Monday, the last time he pitched.

General Manager Joe McIlvaine announced the decision after Sunday’s victory over the Houston Astros. He said the move would be delayed until Tuesday because the Padres’ Las Vegas farm club, from which at least one player will be recalled, has a game tonight.

“We want the people from Las Vegas to play Monday before joining us,” McIlvaine said.

McIlvaine’s use of the word “people” probably means bad news for third baseman Jim Presley, who has been on the bubble since Scott Coolbaugh took over the third base job.

Releasing Presley and de-activating Whitson would make it possible to bring up not only infielder Marty Barrett, who has been on rehabiliation assignment, but catcher Brian Dorsett or pitcher Tim Scott.

At present, the Padres’ list of disabled includes Barrett, pitchers Greg Harris, Atlee Hammaker and Pat Clements, first baseman Phil Stephenson and infielder Paul Faries. Three others--pitchers Dennis Rasmussen and Larry Andersen and outfielder Jerald Clark--have returned from the DL.

Whitson had a cortisone shot Sunday, and will not try to throw again until Wednesday or Thursday.

“They gave me my option, rest or an injection,” Whitson said. “I said, ‘The quickest way is the way I want to to go.’ Rest sure hasn’t helped.”

Whitson lasted only three innings in his last outing, giving up four runs.

“I was throwing batting practice,” he said.

Hammaker had a rough outing Saturday night on rehab with Las Vegas. He was rocked for 12 hits and seven runs in six inning. . . . Pitcher Calvin Schiraldi, released by the Padres before the season opened, has a 3-1 record and a 3.92 earned run average for the Astros’ Tucson farm club. . . . Outfielder Eric Anthony, a Mount Carmel High School graduate who is one of the Astros’ brightest prospects, is expected to be recalled from Tucson soon. He is hitting .348 at Tucson with eight home runs and 44 runs batted in.