PADRES NOTES: Greene not sure if he will return in '08

By DAN HAYES - Staff Writer | Friday, August 1, 2008 11:03 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- After breaking the pinky finger on his left hand, Padres shortstop Khalil Greene said Friday that he isn't sure if he will return before the end of the 2008 season.

Greene injured the digit Wednesday in a moment of frustration when he struck something in the dugout tunnel after an eighth-inning at-bat. X-rays on Thursday showed a fracture, meaning Greene will miss six to eight weeks.

The Padres have just over eight weeks remaining in the season.

"I don't know," Greene said. "... That'd be nice to (return). ... It was a culmination of obviously frustrating moments individually, team-wise and at that one particular moment after fouling the one pitch off my shin. That played a major factor in it. That was extremely painful, frustrating and a wealth of different emotions.

"It was a pretty impulsive thing. It was kind of a quick thing, and there wasn't too much thought behind it. In hindsight, it wasn't something that's a smart move, but it's done."

Greene said he has carried a lot of frustration this season while posting a .213 average and striking out 100 times in 389 at-bats. Last season, he established career highs with 27 home runs and 97 RBIs.

"When I'm playing every day and unable to do what I want to do, it's extremely taxing," Greene said. "It's something that does stick with me as much as I'd like to be able to distance myself from it as time goes on."

 Maddux amused

Greg Maddux wasn't sitting by a television on Thursday awaiting his possible fate as the non-waiver trade deadline approached. Instead, he spent the day with his family at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

"We had this planned a week ago," said Maddux, who was traded at the 2006 deadline by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "So, yeah, why not? The kids still wanted to go, and I still wanted to go. We went and had a good time ---- enjoyed being out there."

Maddux also enjoys the fact that he's still in a Padres uniform. One source said the Dodgers and Padres were never close on a deal.

"You never want to be traded," Maddux said. "That means you're not doing very well or the team's not doing very well."

 

Iguchi glad he's back

Tadahito Iguchi, who was activated from the disabled list Friday, is excited about returning to the Padres.

Iguchi played in three games for Single-A Lake Elsinore, going 4-for-10 with four runs, two home runs and three RBIs. He took Greene's place on the 25-man roster.

"It's been a real tough two months," Iguchi said through translator David Yamamoto.

Short hops

General manager Kevin Towers and director of scouting and player development Grady Fuson are headed to Yountville on Saturday to watch 15th-round draft pick Brett Mooneyham in a tournament. ... Manager Bud Black said RHP Chris Young will start on Tuesday in New York and Cha Seung Baek would go Wednesday. The team hasn't decided on its Thursday starter.