With 20 days to go until Opening Day in St. Louis, the Padres got a little closer to their final 25-man roster on Friday. Six players were optioned to minor league teams and five more were reassigned to minor league camp.
Right-handed pitchers Simon Castro, Jeremy Hefner and Evan Scribner, left-handed pitcher Aaron Poreda and catcher Luis Martinez were sent to Triple-A Tucson, while infielder Jeudy Valdez was sent to Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass, infielders James Darnell, Anthony Rizzo and Andy Parrino and catcher Jason Hagerty were reassigned to minor league camp. They'll hang around Peoria to train a while longer as the team decides which level of the minors they'll start the season in.
The Padres now have 47 players in Major League camp and plenty of positions still up for grabs. The Padres are looking for their 5th starter, a couple of bullpen arms, along with backup infielders and outfielders.
