Murray Doesn’t Expect to Stay a Dodger : Contract: First baseman cites team’s unwillingness to discuss extension of his pact now.

Eddie Murray, the Dodgers’ all-star first baseman, said Tuesday that despite his wishes, he does not expect to be in a Dodger uniform next season.

“You always want to stay in a place where you are happy, but I think they may have other plans,” said Murray, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres. “If it happens here, it happens here . . . but part of this game involves coming or going and they might be thinking that one of their prospects are ready to come up and play.”

Murray said his reasoning is based upon the Dodgers’ unwillingness to discuss an extension for his contract, which will expire at the end of the season. Murray initially asked for the extension last winter.

“They haven’t been willing to do anything, so it seems simple to me,” Murray said.

Losing Murray would not be so simple to teammate Darryl Strawberry, who said a decision not to re-sign Murray could be a mistake.

“We don’t have anyone who can step in and be as steady and consistent as Eddie,” Strawberry said. “You are not going to find anybody who can replace him. Who do we have in the minor leagues who can do his job?

“I guarantee you, coming off a winning season, if you make that transaction (replacing Murray), things are going to be real difficult.”

The only clear candidate is Eric Karros, who is batting .308 with 17 home runs and 89 runs batted in in his first season at triple-A Albuquerque.

“We are not negotiating with Eddie or any of the other players because that is not where our interest is at this point,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “We are interested just in this season. We will have time for negotiations.

“I said at the time we acquired Murray that I felt we had a player on his way to the Hall of Fame, and I still feel that way. Eddie has done everything we have hoped for. But I will not answer any questions about what we are going to do.”

Said Murray, 35: “Maybe you have a case where they want to give a one-year contract, when the player wants a two- or three-year deal. I would love to stay, but I don’t know what their needs are.”

While Murray has been in a slump since late May, with only 58 hits in his last 281 at-bats (.206) before Tuesday, he acknowledged for the first time that he “messed up” his ribs while diving for a ball against Houston on May 29.

Murray said he didn’t recover until recently. In his last 11 games before Tuesday, he was batting .283, including four hits and four RBIs Saturday against Houston.

“Now it’s at the point where I’m just trying to stay healthy,” Murray said.

Murray said that because Strawberry had a separated shoulder at the time that he suffered the injured ribs, Murray did not allow Dodger trainers to perform a thorough examination of his chest. He went hitless in his next 16 at-bats after diving for Steve Finley’s double down the right-field line.

“I didn’t think we could afford to have both Darryl and me out, so I stayed in,” Murray said. “I thought I could continue to do it, but . . . it was tough swinging in the beginning. What I do is adjust, but I had to keep adjusting.

“Maybe I took it too far . . . but that’s me. I go out and play. It’s important to play.”