Williams’ goals: Regain health, rejoin Padres

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, June 28, 2000 | 9:24 a.m.

Woody Williams is in a hurry to help the ailing San Diego Padres, but he doesn't want to rush himself back onto the disabled list by returning to the major league mound too soon.

Williams gave up one earned run and struck out five in six innings on a rehabilitation assignment for the Stars in an 8-7 victory over the Albuquerque Dukes on Tuesday night at Cashman Field.

"Physically I'm 100 percent, but the location on my fastball needs to come around a bit more," Williams said after throwing 99 pitches. "I threw a lot of hittable pitches.

"They battled me all night. It's a good team over there."

The Padres are the team that Williams is more worried about.

Williams had surgery on May 4 to remove an aneurysm under his right armpit. Since then, he has worked hard to come back. It was originally thought he would be out for many months, if not most of the year, but working his way back became Williams' top priority.

"It's hard (not being in the big leagues) because I feel I'm a big part of the team and there are nine pitchers now on the disabled list," he said. "Four guys that were supposed to be starters the beginning of the year are on the disabled list.

"It's hard, I know, for the coaches and the organization, but at the same time, I know there's nothing we can do about it. I'm looking forward to getting back."

When that will be is up to Williams.

He said Sunday is when he is supposed to make his first major league start since May 1 when the Padres host the Colorado Rockies. The Padres have entrusted Williams to decide whether he is up to it.

Accordingly, he said that how he feels Thursday -- two days after his start against the Dukes -- will be a major factor.

"Of course I want to be there," he said. "That's where I feel I belong, but at the same time I want to make sure I'm ready to go.

"You see too many times guys come off the disabled list and think they're ready and a week later they're back on (it), so I don't want that to happen."

After his first start of the year in April, Williams knew something was wrong when his hand kept getting numb and cold. After four or five starts, the situation continued to get worse.

"I had to make up different pitches," Williams said. "I couldn't hold the ball.

"It felt like a grapefruit more than a baseball."

That's when the team suggested he undergo tests to find out what was wrong. Tests revealed an aneurysm similar to the one David Cone had in his shoulder in 1996.

Before the surgery, Williams was 3-2 with a 5.21 ERA and "throwing as good as I ever have," he said.

Kolb appeared in 11 games with the Padres and went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

In Kolb's absence, Palacios has evolved into the team's closer, though Stars manager Tony Franklin said that was not by design. Palacios entered Tuesday night's game 1-1 with five saves and a 1.33 ERA in 19 games. "Since Kolb left, as far as a designated closer, we don't really have one," Franklin said. "It is obvious Vinny is the one we have been using to close ball games."