BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Wilson Playing After Botched Surgery

Team doctors for the San Francisco Giants say they do not believe that pitcher Trevor Wilson’s performance has been affected by a botched surgery during which portions of two healthy ribs were mistakenly removed. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that the portions of two healthy ribs were removed during surgery March 19 to remove a benign cyst on another rib. The surgery was performed by John Culligan of Scottsdale Memorial Hospital in Arizona.

Wilson, 8-13, is tied in the National League for most losses. He started the season on the disabled list but returned to the roster on April 17. Giants’ internist Dr. Will Shaw said the team does not believe the surgery affected Wilson’s performance. “We did not feel at that time or now that the mistake had any bearing on his ability to recover fully or his ability to perform as a pitcher,” Shraw said. “(The surgeon) did not have to make another incision, and the recovery period after the surgery was the same. That timetable was not affected.” Said Wilson: “I was trying to keep it cool, keep it under wraps. I don’t want this coming out to be an excuse for a bad season.”

Commissioner Fay Vincent sent major league teams a memorandum in which he told team employees they could testify freely in grievances and said his actions in the Steve Howe case might have hurt the process. The memorandum, which must be distributed to all team employees or distributed in places where it can be seen by them, settled a grievance filed against the commissioner by the Major League Baseball Players Assn. and an unfair labor practice charge filed by the union with the National Labor Relations Board.