Padres’ Williams Sidelined

Starting pitcher Woody Williams of the San Diego Padres has an aneurysm under his right armpit and doctors will recommend surgery, another huge setback for a staff already besieged by injuries.

The aneurysm was discovered during an angiogram Tuesday morning, the day after Williams pitched 8 1/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to the Florida Marlins.

Williams had reported numbness in his pitching hand for his last five starts, and trainer Todd Hutcheson said a blood clot broke off the aneurysm at some point and caused Williams’ ring finger to turn white and cold the last couple starts.

The Padres say Williams’ condition is similar to that of New York Yankee pitcher David Cone, who had surgery to repair an aneurysm in his right shoulder in 1996. Cone was sidelined four months, but no-hit the Oakland Athletics for seven innings in his first start back.

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Fernando Tatis of the St. Louis Cardinals, batting .375 with six homers and a National League-leading 28 runs batted in, was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a groin injury. The Cardinals called up first baseman-outfielder Larry Sutton, who was hitting .270 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 23 games at triple-A Memphis.

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Pitcher Rocky Coppinger of the Milwaukee Brewers had a ligament in his right elbow replaced and will be sidelined the rest of the season. . . . Keith Foulke of the Chicago White Sox and Luis Polonia and Jim Poole of the Detroit Tigers will appeal fines and suspensions levied against them by major league baseball after last month’s brawl. Foulke and Polonia were each fined and suspended for three games and Poole was fined for the fight, which occurred April 21. Six other players--Doug Brocail and Dean Palmer of the Tigers; and Bobby Howry, Carlos Lee, Tanyon Sturtze and Magglio Ordonez of the White Sox--dropped their appeals.