Dodgers’ Pain Goes to the Top : Baseball: Claire feels the heat for trade as Davis’ season ends because of wrist injury. Gross throws four-hitter to beat Padres.

At one time or another while stumbling through 139 games, virtually every Dodger has been faced with the wilting embarrassment of a major goof.

On Wednesday, it was Fred Claire’s turn.

In a somber press gathering underneath Dodger Stadium before the Dodgers’ 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres, it was announced that Eric Davis would undergo wrist surgery and not play again this season.

What wasn’t announced was that because Davis is a potential free agent, he has probably played his last game as a Dodger.

What also wasn’t announced was that, in exchange for pitchers Tim Belcher and John Wetteland last winter, it appears the Dodger have received nothing.

For Claire, who has endured much public sniping this season, it was a direct hit.

“This is not what we envisioned, and not what Eric envisioned,” said Claire, Dodger vice president.

Claire is a former executive of the year who built the 1988 World Series champion Dodgers by taking risks.

But when he made the trade with the Cincinnati Reds last Nov. 27, critics said was giving up too much pitching for too many injuries.

This time, the critics were right.

Belcher has struggled with a 4.28 earned-run average for the Reds, but he has won 11 games.

And while the Dodger bullpen has combined for 25 saves, Wetteland, later traded to the Montreal Expos, ranks second in the league with 32 saves.

Davis’ season, meanwhile, has gone as he and everyone else feared.

Hurt by a fierce style of play that is not suited for his tightly muscled frame, Davis missed starts for several reasons.

A sampling: herniated disk in his neck, separated shoulder, strained groin, sore left hand, virus, and this most recent wrist injury.

He played in a career-low 76 games, with a career-low five home runs and 32 runs batted in.

“This is very, very disappointing,” Davis said. “This is the one thing which I did not want to happen. I wanted to come here and help us win. I would have done anything to help us win.”

This includes playing with most of those injuries, particularly the sore wrist, which has a bone chip and torn ligaments.

Davis returned to the lineup Aug. 25, but had only four hits in 25 at-bats before deciding he could not continue.

The surgery will be performed within the next week. Doctors might also operate on his separated shoulder at the same time.

“If you look back, when we signed Kirk Gibson, he had a history of injuries,” Claire said. “When I traded for Jay Howell and Alfredo Griffin, they were both coming off injuries. I’ve never been afraid to take risks.”

But will he be willing to take another risk and re-sign Davis, who wants to return to the Dodgers but who made $3.6 million this year?

“We have many, many considerations and I just have not made a decision on Eric’s case yet,” Claire said. “Is (surgery) something to consider? Yes.”

Kevin Gross, signed by Claire in the winter after the 1990 season, is proving to be one of Claire’s better acquisitions after throwing a four-hitter Wednesday with eight strikeouts.

While improving his ERA to 3.23, Gross did not give up a hit after Fred McGriff’s leadoff single in the fourth inning and he shut down Triple Crown threat Gary Sheffield on two strikeouts and two grounders.

“I started feeling tired, so I just started throwing and grunting,” Gross said.

Before 22,067, Gross was assisted by Darryl Strawberry’s first RBI since July 19 on a third-inning double. That hit tied the score, at 1-1, before Henry Rodriguez gave the Dodgers the lead two batters later with an RBI single.