PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Stephenson Likely to Get a Try in Left-Field Platoon With Ward

HOUSTON â€”  The Padres, hoping to solve their problems in left field, have decided to bring up Phil Stephenson from triple-A Las Vegas some time within the next 10 days, according to sources in the organization.

Stephenson, a left-handed hitter who’s hitting .346 with eight homers and 43 RBIs, is expected to platoon in left field with Kevin Ward, who’s batting .222 with two homers and five RBIs.

The move probably will leave Jerald Clark on the bench and push outfielder Gary Pettis off the roster. Pettis, signed April 14 when the Padres traded Thomas Howard, will be released if he can’t be traded, sources say.

Clark is hitting only .184 this season with four homers and 13 RBIs. He also has no homers and four RBIs since April 27.

The average offensive statistics for National League left fielders this season is a .254 batting average with five homers and 27 RBIs.

“We’re discussing a lot of options right now,� Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said, “but believe me, nothing has been decided. We’ll discuss it in-depth this weekend.�

Padre broadcaster Bob Chandler was robbed of his 1984 World Series ring and his father’s Naval Academy ring at the Padres’ team hotel in Houston.

Chandler, who left the rings in his hotel room Tuesday morning when he played golf, did not realize the theft until he started to pack his belongings Wednesday morning.

“I’m just sick about it,� Chander said. “It’s not the (monetary) value of the rings, but the sentimental value. They meant a lot to me, especially my father’s ring.

“I’ve been traveling for 20 years, so I guess I’m lucky this is the first time this has happened to me.�

Chander is the second member of the Padre traveling party to have his hotel room burglarized this season. Riddoch was robbed of between $450 and $600 in New York earlier this season.

The cold war between Padre starter Bruce Hurst and Riddoch continues.

The two still have not spoken to each other since Riddoch fined Hurst on Monday for flipping the ball to him while taking Hurst out of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

Hurst spent much of the game Wednesday talking to starter Craig Lefferts and backup catcher Dann Bilardello. He still wants to be traded as quickly as possible but will not comment publicly for fear of repercussions from Padre fans.

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, is scheduled to be in San Francisco for the four-game series against the Giants. The three are expected to meet then.

“There’s a lot of guys in here who respect Bruce for his talents,� one veteran said, “but I don’t think any of us like what’s going on. He wants out, so why should we stop him? It’s not doing anyone any good.�

The Padres are bracing themselves to lose between $5 million and $7 million this season, according to one of the minority owners.

It will be the second consecutive season the Padres have lost money. They lost $400,000 in 1991, according to Financial World magazine. The magazine said the Padres were one of nine major league franchises that lost money during the 1991 season.

The Padres generated $48.4 million in 1991, according to the magazine, but lost $400,000 because of their $24.4 million player payroll.

Despite the loss, the franchise’s value has risen astronomically. The Padres were purchased for $75 million by Tom Werner and 14 partners two years ago, and it now is worth $96 million, according to Financial World.

Reliever Rich Rodriguez, who made an emergency start Tuesday in place of starter Greg Harris, says he had fun in the role and is available if the Padres need him again.

“It’s a thing where you don’t want to bounce back and forth from the bullpen to the rotation,� Rodriguez said. “I’m content where I am. But if they ever need me. . . .

“Really, I had a lot of fun. I tried to go as long as I could in there, and I was just one batter away from having a good outing.�

Rodriguez pitched four innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) in his stint.

The Padres, who managed a stolen base Wednesday when first baseman Fred McGriff swiped second in the sixth inning, have only 33 steals this season, fewest in the National League.

In fact, the only teams with fewer stolen bases are the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox, who have 21 apiece.

The Padres, who have stolen 33 bases in 54 attempts, have given up 62 steals in 88 attempts. Dan Walters has thrown out seven of 21 runners, 33.3%. Bilardello, four of 14 runners, 28.6%. Benito Santiago, 10 of 47 runners, 21.3%. Padre pitchers have thrown out five of six runners when the catcher was not involved in the play.

The Padres have made 29 errors in their last 31 games, and now have 56 for the season. The Dodgers are the only team in the National League with more errors, 58.