PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Giants’ Wilson Says He’s Sorry McGriff Was Injured in Brawl

If Padres first baseman Fred McGriff had to do it all over again, he still would charge the mound.

If San Francisco Giants starter Trevor Wilson had to do it all over again, he might throw another pitch in the same spot--at McGriff’s right thigh.

The two have no regrets over inciting a benches-clearing brawl last Thursday, but they would rather forget the incident ever happened.

Wilson said one day that he would like to talk privately with McGriff and apologize. He said he didn’t want McGriff to get hurt in the brawl. He also is thankful McGriff missed with a punch aimed at the pitcher’s head.

“That’s what I feel worst about,” Wilson said, “that McGriff got hurt. You don’t ever want to see that. Some day, I’d like to tell him I’m sorry he got hurt because of that.

“Things just happened, and I got frustrated. I don’t blame him for coming to the mound.”

The two players were suspended for four days and fined $1,000 by National League President Bill White for inciting last week’s brawl, and White came to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium before the game to discuss his actions.

White met with privately Padres General Manager Joe McIlvaine, Padres Manager Greg Riddoch and McGriff. Then he talked to Giants Manager Roger Craig.

White would not divulge the details of his discussions or the purpose of his one-day visit, but he did throw a wrench into Wilson’s plans.

Wilson, who appealed the decision so he could pitch in Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, dropped his appeal Thursday. That way, his suspension would occur on the four days between his starts and he would be on schedule to pitch Monday against Atlanta at Candlestick Park.

White, however, prevented Wilson from dropping his appeal until today. It forced Wilson’s start to be bumped back a day.

“We have rules we have to go by,” White said. “The league office never discusses their reasons, or why a particular action was taken for each case.”

McGriff, eligible to play Saturday, said he would have appealed his case, too, if he wasn’t hurt. Since he couldn’t have played until Thursday at the earliest because of his injury, he figures the suspension cost him only two games.

“If I had been playing,” McGriff said, “I would have appealed it. But since I couldn’t play Tuesday, and with the day off Wednesday, I decided to sit out. Why wait until August or September to serve it?”

McGriff still doesn’t believe the suspension was fair, considering he will end up missing seven games because of the injury and suspension, and Wilson will have only one start pushed back one day. But what’s he going to do?

“How do you discriminate between a player and a starter?” McGriff said. “Besides, you can’t even prove he threw on purpose at me. I know that. You know that. Everyone knows that. But you can’t prove it.

“At least this way, I know I’ll be healthy when I come back on Saturday.”

The Padres and the Boston Red Sox had trade discussions Thursday, sources said, exploring a deal that would send outfielder Jerald Clark to Boston for a minor-league pitcher.

The Red Sox, who had their entire outfield in Dr. Arthur Pappas’ office Thursday, need an outfielder. Mike Greenwell probably will be out for the year with elbow surgery. Phil Plantier has a strained knee. And Ellis Burks has a strained muscle in his back.

Clark, batting .190 with four homers and 14 RBIs, is expendable. He has been relegated to the bench with Monday’s call-up of left-handed hitter Phil Stephenson. Stephenson is scheduled to platoon in left field with Kevin Ward, although Clark is likely to start once or twice a week.

The Red Sox also have slight interest in Dodger outfielder Kal Daniels, but they’d rather have Clark if the price isn’t steep.

Several teams have inquired about the availability of Padre starter Bruce Hurst, but McIlvaine has resisted. The Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates all are interested.

McIlvaine, however, laughed at a report out of Pittsburgh that the Padres would be interested in trading Hurst to the Pirates for second baseman Jose Lind.

“That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it,” McIlvaine said. “We need starting pitching, we already have a second baseman, and we’re going to trade a starter for a second baseman. Right!”

The Pirates are interested in Giants outfielder Kevin Bass. Although Bass has a no-trade clause in his contract, the Pirates hope to acquire him before the All-Star break, according to one club executive.

Padres starter Ed Whitson, whose career is over because of a torn ligament in his right elbow, intended to sell his San Diego home when he dropped into town this week. Those plans have changed, however.

Whitson has been promised a job in the organization next season.

“They haven’t told me what I’ll do yet,” Whitson said, “but I’m hoping it’ll be as a pitching coach in the organization. I know I can help.”

Mark Knudson had another impressive outing Wednesday night for triple-A Las Vegas, and McIlvaine will decide today whether Knudson or Dave Eiland will replace Greg Harris in the starting rotation.

Knudson (8-3), coming off two consecutive shutouts, allowed nine hits and one earned run in 7 1/3 innings for the victory.

The Padres must make a decision today on Eiland, whose 30-day rehabilitative assignment ended in Las Vegas. They can either recall Eiland or option him to Las Vegas.

The Padres are expected to make room for either Knudson or Eiland by sending left-hander Pat Clements to Las Vegas. Clements, however, would have the option of rejecting the assignment and declaring himself a free agent.