Therapy Puts Fernandez’s Confidence on the Mend : Padres: Shortstop, getting ready for opening day, tries to put thumb injury behind him.

The movements are still fluid and graceful, the body still lanky and lean.

But that body is beginning to tell Tony Fernandez he’ll soon turn 30.

The surgically repaired right thumb is getting stronger, but his therapy has led to some discomfort in the wrist and shoulder.

He’s been taking medication for hip spasms.

The talk is optimistic, the target date still opening day, but Fernandez has yet to appear in a Cactus League game this year. Thursday he took some cuts for the first time against live pitching--in a minor league scrimmage. And looked rusty.

He says his thumb, bothersome most of last season, will be as good--if not better--than before.

But for Fernandez, the shortstop who makes it look easy, things don’t come so easily anymore.

About to start his 10th major league season, the veteran of three All-Star games has spent spring training apart from the varsity, working out alone, throwing medicine balls instead of baseballs, pumping weights instead of line drives.

Fernandez finally begins working out with the Padres today when they open a nine-game home stand here against the Seattle Mariners.

While the rest of the major leaguers took Thursday off, Fernandez did his physical therapy, then took more than an hour of grounders and batting practice before joining the minor leaguers’ game, the only player with a name on the back of his uniform.

Infield coach Rob Picciolo, who put Fernandez through Thursday’s fielding workout, was pleasantly surprised by his progress. “I didn’t know what to expect, I knew he’d had some problems getting into shape, but today he looked great,” Picciolo said.

“Not only his coordination was there, but his stamina. I know that’s only one 20-minute session, but he looked close (to returning) to me.”

A private rooting section of Jose Melendez, Oscar Azocar and Ricky Bones cheered him on and jeered noisily when Fernandez took a nasty curveball from Double-A left-hander Renay Bryand for a third strike.

Fernandez, often characterized as moody, laughs easily and seems comfortable as the center of attention of both the major league and minor league Latin Americans.

“It’s just a matter of rhythm,” he said after a vigorous workout. “It’s not quite there but it’s coming along. I think I will (be ready for the April 6 opener). I don’t see why not. I should be fine if I get my rhythm down.”

Fernandez had surgery Oct. 7 to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, and the hand was in a cast for two months. He wasn’t allowed to do physical activities until he reported here Feb. 4.

His regimen since then has included work with medicine balls and weights, and squeezing exercises to strengthen the thumb. He said confidently the thumb “will be better (than last season). Last year it went flat by the middle of the season. I expect it to be better this year.”

The Padres’ minor league trainer, Steve Sayles, who has worked closely with Fernandez here, said the shortstop has been “a model patient--he came in every day, he worked hard at it. It should pay off for him. He’s close (to being ready to play).”

Padre trainer Bob Day, who hasn’t seen Fernandez while traveling with the team, said the expectation is for Fernandez to be ready for the season.

Working out at short Thursday, Fernandez, his hand taped lightly, threw easily and laughed off reports of arm problems. Still, he admitted, it will take some doing to get back to form by April.

“Strength? I think (the thumb) is 75, maybe 80%,” Fernandez, a switch-hitter, said. “From the right side it gets a little sore. The soreness in the wrist is from lack of work, inactivity, that’s only natural.

“The shoulder (got sore) because of the wrist since I’ve been working. When I talked about the shoulder being sore that was a month ago. When you spend two months in a cast you know your shoulder won’t be in shape. I’m working it back in shape, that’s what I’m doing now.”

In his first at-bat against Bryand, a hard thrower with a sharp slider, Fernandez had trouble making contact and struck out. In his next at-bat against Bryand, Fernandez fouled off several pitches and took a close 3-and-2 slider for a walk.

In two at-bats against right-handers, he lined out hard to second and third and turned on the ball well.

“I have my confidence . . . maybe from the right side I haven’t faced much live pitching yet and it’ll take a while to get my confidence. But it feels good,” he said.

A lifetime .287 hitter who batted as high as .310 (with 213 hits) for Toronto in 1986, Fernandez batted .289 in his first year as a Padre, getting off to a sizzling start with a 10-game hitting streak.

But it proved to be a fitful season for Fernandez, who came to the team along with Fred McGriff in the trade for Joe Carter and Robbie Alomar. While the latter two led the Blue Jays to a division title, Fernandez and the Padres had their struggles.

Fernandez came over with a reputation as the American League’s slickest fielding shortstop. He ranked second among National League shortstops in putouts, assists, chances and double plays, but also made an unusually high 20 errors (compared to nine in 1990) and was vocal about his distaste for the infield composition at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Then the thumb shelved him for the final two weeks.

Thursday, he was pleased to hear that the stadium will have a new infield--thanks mostly to his insistence--then insisted it was not an issue.

“They needed to get it softer and give the infielders some longevity,” he said. “A hard infield is just like AstroTurf. I’m not the only one (who complained), don’t give me that. I’m just not afraid to speak up. I don’t even want to talk about it now. I just want to play baseball and be left alone.”

And when will he be able to play again up to his own standards?

“Everything is gonna take time,” he said with a smile.

Padre Notes

Milwaukee General Manager Sal Bando is skeptical that the Padres and Brewers will work out a deal for infielder Gary Sheffield. “We told them what we’re looking for; it’s back in their court,” he said. “Everybody wants something for nothing.” The Brewers requested pitchers Ricky Bones and three of the Padres’ top minor-leaguers.

Test on pitcher Ed Whitson’s injured right elbow revealed no tear in the tendon or damage to any ligament. The Padres will examine the tests today and determine Whitson’s rehabilitation process.