PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Maddux Surprises Coaching Staff With Strong Return from Injury

You can’t find any saves in his pitching statistics. He has no victories, nor a defeat. He has been the most obscure pitcher in the Padre bullpen.

But yet, the Padres will tell you, there’s no one in the bullpen pitching any better right now than right-hander Mike Maddux.

Maddux, whose elbow injury the opening week of the season raised concerns whether this would be a lost year for him, has exceeded the Padres’ expectations.

He not only has gone 6 1/3 innings without giving up a run in six appearances, he has been touched for only three hits. He’s yielding a team-low .143 batting average.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” said Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said, “because he’s come back so strong. Really, he’s been invaluable. He could be a key to our success.”

With Jose Melendez headed to the starting rotation Tuesday, Maddux will become the Padres’ right-handed setup man. He probably will remain in the role at least until Larry Andersen reverts to form.

“I’m feeling as good as I ever have,” Maddux said. “Everything seems to be working. If I’m healthy, I know I can be effective.

“I promised myself I’m only going to come back one time (from the disabled list), and I’m not going to break it.”

Reliever Randy Myers might drive the coaching staff and his teammates crazy by living on the edge--pitching only five 1-2-3 innings this season--but he has proven he has not lost anything on his fastball.

Listen to Philadelphia Phillies infielder Mariano Duncan: “Myers threw me one pitch that I took for ball that was as hard as I’ve seen a pitch this season. When he struck out Wes (Chamberlain) in the ninth, it was on three nasty pitches on the black. He’s nasty enough but when he’s on the black, he’s almost unhittable.”

Of course, Duncan acknowledged, Myers is a bit of an eccentric.

Next time Myers pitches, take a look at the left sleeve of his uniform. There’s no All-Star emblem. Every other Padre has an emblem on his left sleeve, but Myers’ happens to be on the right.

“I just don’t feel comfortable with it there,” Myers said. “It weighs me down.”

Oh.

The winner of the ex-Padre Player of the Week award goes to Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays, who produced almost as much offense in a week as Padre left fielder Jerald Clark or center fielder Darrin Jackson has generated this season.

Carter, who was traded along with Roberto Alomar to Toronto after the 1990 season in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez, batted .375 for the week with four homers and eight RBIs. He also scored 10 runs. Clark, who entered Saturday’s game with a .183 batting average, has four homers and nine RBIs. Jackson, who’s batting .212, has four homers with 13 RBIs.

Around the Basepaths: Milwaukee Brewer outfielder Greg Vaughn, after nearly being hit in the head by Jack McDowell of the Chicago White Sox: “If he hits me in the head, I’ll break his neck. Print that. If you throw at my head, you’re messing with my life, not my career. If he ever hits me in the head, he’ll never pitch with that right arm again. He’s a headhunter, and somebody’s got to take him out.” . . . It has been 18 years since Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth as baseball’s all-time home-run hitter. But along with the mementos he saved along the way, he also hung onto the racial-hatred letters he received from fans who didn’t want him to pass Ruth simply because of his skin color. “I’m going to keep them, I’m always going to keep them,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget them. It’s like telling a Jewish family to forget about the Holocaust.” . . . Mets starter David Cone on the fact that no Met has ever thrown a no-hitter: “It’s got to be the Nolan Ryan-Tom Seaver curse. Neither one of them pitched one while they were here, so I guess no one else can.”

Giants pitcher Billy Swift’s 6-0 start is the best by a Giant since Juan Marichal in 1966. The best statistic on Swift’s dominance: He has allowed only three hits to 33 batters with runners in scoring position. . . . Seattle Mariners outfielder Kevin Mitchell on pitcher Gene Harris’ decision to leave the Mariners and try out as a cornerback in the NFL: “I’ve got a better chance to play in the NFL than that guy.” . . . Former Padre Walt Terrell of the Detroit Tigers is winless in his last 10 starts with a 6.30 ERA. His last victory was Sept. 11, 1991. . . . How impressive is Cal Ripken’s streak of playing 1,602 consecutive games? Mark Grace of the Chicago Cubs is second at 201.

Since joining the Detroit Tigers more than a year ago, outfielder Rob Deer has had two singles in a game only five times. . . . How bad was former Padre Cy Young Award winner Mark Davis as a starter in Kansas City? He lasted only 15 innings in four starts, yielding 21 hits, 13 walks and 16 earned runs for a 9.60 ERA. He was put back in the bullpen as a mop-up man, and the Royals are willing to trade him for absolutely nothing if they can get somebody to pay the final two years of his $13 million contract. . . . Texas Ranger pitcher Nolan Ryan pitched in his 35th different ballpark this week when he started at Camden Yards on Tuesday. He has won games in 30 different ballparks. . . . The Atlanta Braves are 8-3 against the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros, and 7-12 against everyone else. . . . The Braves have had 15 games this season in which the starter has allowed three or fewer runs. In their 15 victories this season entering Saturday, the starts have pitched 111 2/3 innings, allowing 74 hits, 28 walks and 12 earned runs for a 0.97 ERA.