Sheffield as Puzzled as Everyone Else

Left fielder Gary Sheffield sat out Friday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants because he has been experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Of course, the Dodgers have been making many feel ill this season.

The team’s horrid play did not cause Sheffield’s absence Friday, though Sheffield feels burdened by what has occurred.

Once viewed as a potential trouble-maker, Sheffield has emerged as a team leader. General Manager Kevin Malone and Manager Davey Johnson seek Sheffield’s opinions on key matters, not for his approval but because they respect the four-time all-star.

Sheffield tells it like he sees it, and what he has seen has been more unsettling than he ever imagined.

“I’ve never been one to bring home what happens at the ballpark because we spend enough time concentrating on the game when we’re here, but I’ve been bringing it home a lot this season,” Sheffield said. “I sit at home and analyzing everything in my mind over and over again, just trying to figure out what’s going on.”

What’s going on is that too many of Sheffield’s teammates haven’t performed as well as he has. Sheffield has batted .300 with 16 home runs and 46 runs batted in while playing in 72 of 77 games.

He has played well defensively in his first season in left and been a clubhouse leader, counseling younger players. Sheffield believes the Dodgers should make a major trade if things don’t improve soon.

“You can only have so many team meetings and keep talking about what you’re doing wrong. Sometimes, you’ve got to shake things up and clean house,” Sheffield said. “Kevin Malone is the general manager and he makes those decisions. All I’m saying is that we’re getting to a point where we could be in trouble. Once you start getting to double digits [in games behind the division leader] then it gets real hard.

“I’d say that after this series, if we aren’t showing something, we need to do something. There are going to be other teams out there trying to plug their holes too, and the longer you wait the more people you’re going to be competing with. The bottom line is that you have to win when you’re expected to win--or things have to change.”

*

Shortstop Mark Grudzielanek went 0 for 5 Friday for Class-A San Bernardino at Lake Elsinore in the first game of his rehabilitation assignment.

Grudzielanek has been eager to rejoin the Dodgers after sitting out 25 games because of a broken bone in his right hand. Grudzielanek expects to rejoin the team before it leaves for a four-game trip to Colorado on Sunday.

The Dodgers are expected to make a trade involving an infielder when Grudzielanek is ready to be activated because reserve infielders Tripp Cromer and Craig Counsell are out of options. To this point, the Dodgers have been unable to trade shortstop Jose Vizcaino, who is making $3 million this season and is owed $3.5 million next season in the final year of his contract.

Reliever Antonio Osuna is expected to join San Bernardino after working in the bullpen and facing batters today. Osuna has missed 63 games while recovering from surgery on his throwing elbow.

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The Dodgers were fined $200,000 by major league baseball and banned from signing foreign players for six months because they improperly signed Cuban players Juan Carlos Diaz and Josue Perez, who have been granted free agency.

The Dodgers still are permitted to sign two foreign players who have been negotiating with the organization.

TODAYE

DODGERS’ CHAN HO PARK (4-6, 5.54 ERA)

vs.

PADRES’ MARK GARDNER (2-6, 7.02 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 1 p.m.

TV--Channel 11. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Third baseman Adrian Beltre left Friday’s game in the sixth inning because of a left groin strain. He is listed as day-to-day. Gardner defeated Park, 8-7, at 3Com Park last Sunday. Park, who has lost three in a row, was chased after 3 2/3 innings in his second-shortest outing of the season.