Towers takes Wells at his word

By: North County Times staff and wire reports - | Tuesday, May 18, 2004 10:07 PM PDT ∞

PITTSBURGH ---- The Padres have lost the services of pitcher David Wells for a while, but they will welcome Rod Beck back today.

The right-handed reliever will be activated for the Padres' doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The teams will play two games today because of a rainout Tuesday at PNC Park.

It was barely raining when the game was called at 7:45 p.m. EDT, 40 minutes after the scheduled start, but the umpires cited a forecast calling for severe weather.

Brian Lawrence (5-2) and Jake Peavy (3-2) are to start for the Padres against Pittsburgh's Kris Benson (3-3) and Oliver Perez (3-1).

Beck, who has not pitched this season after leaving the team during spring training to tend to a personal problem, won't be the only Padres pitcher to make his season debut during this road trip. Justin Germano, a 21-year-old right-hander, got the nod to replace Wells in the rotation.

Wells was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, two days after cutting his right wrist and left palm in what was described by the team as an accident at home. He wasn't available for comment.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he believed Wells' story, that he cut himself on some glass at home Sunday night, hours after losing to the Chicago Cubs. Wells didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh.

Towers said pitcher Andy Ashby, who's sidelined this season while rehabbing his surgically repaired right elbow, went to Wells' home on Monday "and saw on the kitchen floor the glass and blood. He helped clean up."

Added Towers: "It definitely happened at his house, and it was definitely one person involved. I could honestly say that from talking to Ashby and talking to the doctor and where the cuts were at, that glass was involved, at his house.

"I think it was him and a bottle, him and a water glass, wine glass, I don't know what type of glass, but that's how it happened."

Towers said Wells received stitches in his right wrist and left palm, and also had minor surgery on the wrist because he sliced a tendon.

Wells, who turns 41 on Thursday, has been involved in off-field altercations in recent years, but Towers said his injuries weren't consistent with those someone might get from being in a fight.

Wells (2-4, 3.78 ERA) will miss scheduled starts Saturday at Philadelphia and May 28 at Milwaukee. Germano (1-1, 3.18 ERA) was called up from Triple-A Portland to start Saturday night, which will be his big-league debut.

Manager Bruce Bochy said there's a chance left-hander Sterling Hitchcock, on a rehab assignment in the minors, will be ready in time to make Wells' scheduled start at Milwaukee.

Wells is expected to rejoin the Padres when they play a three-game series at Colorado next week.

The injury could cost Wells several hundred thousand dollars. He is earning $1.25 million in salary with a chance to make $5.75 million in incentives if he makes 34 starts. The incentives escalate in value as he makes more starts. Starts 21-30 will be worth $200,000 each; 31-33, $250,000 each; and a 34th start would pay $500,000.