Arias, Wall sent to Stars

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, March 26, 1998 | 9:58 a.m.

PEORIA, Ariz. --- The San Diego Padres optioned third baseman George Arias and pitcher Donne Wall to Las Vegas on Wednesday.

That's bad news for Arias and Wall, but great news for Stars manager Jerry Royster.

"We have our entire infield set now," said Royster after the Stars whipped Louisville 5-1 on a warm and windy afternoon. "It's going to be a very good one."

Arias, who has played in 98 major league games with the Angels and Padres, will join highly touted shortstop Juan Melo on the left side. Slick fielding Dave Hajek, who hit .340 in 41 games last year with the Stars, returns at second base while Jason Thompson, who hit .300 with 21 HRs in Las Vegas in 1996, returns from Japan to play first.

"We're going to be real good catching the ball and covering territory," said Royster. "Melo (who turns 22 in May) is the only young guy who might make some youthful mistakes. The rest of the group are veteran guys who are still capable of playing in the majors again."

And it could get even better. Royster expects one more infielder to be sent down by the parent Padres before the start of the season.

But as happy as Royster is with his infield, he's even more ecstatic over his pitching staff.

"It's incredible how good it's going to be," said Royster. "There's the possibility that a guy on the major league roster could get sent down and not be good enough to make our team."

The right-handed Wall, who was the Pacific Coast League Player of the Year with Tucson in 1995, joins heralded youngsters Heath Murray and Matt Clement in the rotation. He has a career record of 14-14 in the majors.

Another likely starter, Stan Spencer, who went 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in eight starts last year in Las Vegas, allowed just one run in six innings in Wednesday's win. Wall finished up by tossing three shutout innings.

"We have to stretch him out a little bit," Royster said of Wall. "The longest he's gone this spring with the Padres is 1 1/3 innings. We need him to go six or seven innings each start."

The Padres break camp after a game against Seattle here this afternoon and return to San Diego to play the Yankees twice in Qualcomm Stadium. Royster believes several more players could be sent down to the Stars today.

Oh, yeah. Today's pitching matchup isn't too shabby for a Cactus League game: Kevin Brown vs. Randy Johnson.