PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : All-Star Plans Prompt Santiago to Make a Stop in Minor Leagues

SAN DIEGO —  Catcher Benito Santiago doesn’t believe it’s necessary. He says he’s ready to play for the Padres right now, and that it’s a waste of time to spend a week in triple-A on a rehabilitative assignment.

Wanting desperately to play in the All-Star game next week, Santiago heeded the Padres’ orders and begrudgingly packed his bags Monday for a five-day rehabilitative stint.

“Really, I feel fine,” said Santiago, who has been out since May 30 with a broken little finger on his right hand. “I think I can play here, but if they don’t want that, what are you going to do?”

Santiago will report today to Tucson, Ariz., where the Las Vegas Stars are playing the Toros. He is scheduled to return Sunday morning. If there’s no physical problems, Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, said Santiago will be activated Sunday.

It’s possible Santiago could be activated after the All-Star game, McIlvaine said, but the Padres are awaiting a ruling from the league office to determine if Santiago can play in the All-Star game if he’s inactive.

“I think he’d like to play in the All-Star game,” McIlvaine said, “but at the same time he’s not going to be out there if he’s not physically ready. I’ve watched him for three days, he’s ready, but he needs at-bats.

“If you are out since May 31, you can face all the batting practices and all the pitching machines you want. But it’s not the same as facing a live curveball with 40,000, uh, I mean 20,000, jeering at you.”

Santiago, who will catch and perhaps even play the outfield one game, said that he hopes he convinces the Padres he’s more than ready during his brief stay. There’s no way, he said, he’s going to miss the All-Star game.

“I’m playing in that game, if I get voted in ,” Santiago said. “If I don’t play in that game, I’ll be mad. It’s not fair.

“If I want to play, I should play.”

The Padres were elated with the news that the National League will move the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds to the East, and bring the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs to the West.

“Geographically, it makes all the sense in the world,” McIlvaine said. “That will really cut down the travel. There’s only one problem with it.”

Yes?

“We think the ruling should be retroactive,” he said.

If the divisions were realigned today, the Padres would find themselves sitting in first place, two games ahead of the Cardinals.

There still is no word on scheduling. McIlvaine vehemently opposes a 20-6 format. He would like to see a 15-10 format, with each team playing their divisional rival 15 times.

“I sure hope they don’t go that 20-6 format,” McIlvaine said. “If there’s 28 teams in baseball, that means you’re going to see the same six teams over and over. It’s just too much.”

The Padres traded third baseman Scott Coolbaugh of their triple-A Las Vegas team to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infielder Lenny Wentz.

Wentz was hitting .337 with one homer and 28 RBIs while playing for Charleston, W. Va., of the South Atlantic League. He’ll report to the Padres’ Class A Charleston, S.C., team.

Coolbaugh, 26, was one of eight third basemen used by the Padres last season. He batted .217 with two homers and 15 RBIs.