PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Sheffield Emerges OK from Fight, Much to Relief of Family, Friends

Padre third baseman Gary Sheffield, who suffered a slight shoulder strain in last week’s brawl with the San Francisco Giants, says the love he has felt from family and friends has been overwhelming. He has been answering telephone call after telephone call from his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends . . . everyone wanting to know how he’s doing.

“You name them, they’ve called,” said Sheffield, who hit his 14th homer Tuesday in the Padres’ 8-4 victory over the Dodgers. “Everybody was pretty worried about me. They find out there’s a fight, and want to know whether I’m OK.

“I think the only one who wasn’t worried was my dad. He knows I can take care of myself. I was in a lot of fights growing up, just walking down the street I’d be in fights, so that was no problem.”

Perhaps the most touching aspect of his parents’ concern, Sheffield said, is that they’ve ignored their own problems for him.

His father, Harold, was just laid off from his job of 22 years in Tampa working on a shipping dock.

“It puts everything in perspective,” Sheffield said. “He devoted his whole life to that company, and when they started laying people off, they looked at him, and said, ‘Well, since you’re kin to Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield, you don’t need the money.’

“That’s not right. He enjoyed his job. He loved it. That’s what’s so tough, because we’re so close.

“I think everything will be all right, but I want to make sure they don’t have worry about anything the rest of my life. I sure don’t want them worrying about me.”

Sheffield smiled and said, “But you know how moms are.”

What most angered the Padres more than Tuesday’s four-day suspension of first baseman Fred McGriff?

Finding out they won’t be facing starter Trevor Wilson when the Giants come to town Thursday.

The Padres, eager to face Wilson again, found out Tuesday that he won’t be pitching at all in the four-game series at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium beginning Thursday.

Wilson triggered last week’s brawl with the Padres when he hit McGriff with a pitch.

McGriff sustained a strained rib cage in the brawl and has been unable to play. He and Wilson each were suspended Tuesday for four days by National League President Bill White. Wilson appealed the suspension; McGriff accepted the decision, which began with Tuesday’s game. He’ll be eligible to play again Saturday.

The scheduled pitching matchups: Bruce Hurst (6-5) vs. Dave Righetti (1-4) at 7:05 p.m. Thursday; Craig Lefferts (8-5) vs. Bud Black (4-1) at 7:05 p.m. Friday; Andy Benes (6-5) vs. Billy Swift at 7:05 p.m. Saturday; Frank Seminara (2-2) vs. John Burkett (5-3) at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Reliever Randy Myers, who has not been in a save situation since June 2, wore the T-shirt of the day:

“I’m on vacation.”

The Padres will wait until after Mark Knudson’s start with triple-A Las Vegas tonight before making a decision of who’ll replace Greg Harris in the starting rotation.

Dave Eiland, who had left his last two starts with blister problems on his right hand, pitched six shutout innings Monday night in Las Vegas’ 2-0 victory over Vancouver. Eiland (3-0) yielded only five hits.

Eiland, who’s on a 30-day rehabilitative assignment, must either be activated or optioned to Las Vegas on Friday. He has been on the disabled list since May 4 because of back spasms.

Knudson (7-3), meanwhile, has pitched two consecutive shutouts.

“We’ll go with one of those two pitchers,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, “we just have to decide which one.”

The Padres will need a starter Monday against the Dodgers.

Although the Padres are reluctant to trade Hurst--or any other pitcher now that Harris may be out the rest of the season with a broken finger--they still have several trade possibilities.

Ken Bracey, their major league scout assigned to the Armerican League, arrived in Arlington, Tex., Tuesday to scout the Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.

The Rangers and Blue Jays each are interested in Hurst. The Rangers are willing to offer left fielder Kevin Reimer and perhaps pitcher Kenny Rogers. The Blue Jays have a host of top prospects.

Who’s stuffing the ballot box?

Though the Padres are grateful that their top four hitters--shortstop Tony Fernandez, right fielder Tony Gwynn, Sheffield and McGriff--are being recognized for their achievements, a few eyebrows were being raised over the latest All-Star balloting.

Catcher Benito Santiago is running away with the voting, despite the league-leading 52 RBIs by Darren Daulton of Philadelphia. And it’s difficult to explain the popularity of left fielder Jerald Clark and second baseman Kurt Stillwell.

Clark, batting .190 and homerless since April 27, is 16th in the balloting. Clark is ahead of such players as Deion Sanders and Otis Nixon of Atlanta, Paul O’Neill of Cincinnati and Marquis Grissom of Montreal.

Stillwell (.247, 12 RBIs) is ahead of such players as Robby Thompson of San Francsico, Delino DeShields of Montreal and Jose Lind of Pittsburgh.

“It is kind of suspicious, isn’t it?” said one Padre veteran.