Asuaje sent down; lefty reliever Webb called up

WASHINGTON -- With the Padres turning to Robbie Erlin to start Monday's game against the Nationals, the team made a move to shore up the bullpen in his absence, calling up left-hander Tyler Webb from Triple-A El Paso and optioning infielder Carlos Asuaje to the Chihuahuas.
For Asuaje, the move to Triple-A is about getting him more at-bats. He's played in 43 games this season for the Padres, slashing .193/.256/.284 with two home runs and 13 RBIs.
"He's going to go down and do what we talked about -- play some third base, bounce around the field, continue to work on his versatility," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He's had quality at-bats in the last week and a half as he's been up, but opportunity has been dwindling just by roster composition. He's got to find his rhythm, and the best way to do that sometimes is to go play."
This will be Webb's second stint this season with the Padres, after the team claimed him off waivers from the Brewers in April. Webb (0-1, 8.10 ERA) made two appearances with San Diego, including a three-inning scoreless relief effort against the Dodgers on April 18. He was then optioned to Triple-A on April 20, where he registered a 1.38 ERA in 11 appearances.
"We've got Robbie Erlin going today, and we wanted to be sure we had coverage in the bullpen over the next number of days," Green said. "We anticipate Robbie being down the rest of this series, and just the ability to have another left-hander in the bullpen gives us a little bit more options."

Renfroe, Hedges going nine
Outfielder Hunter Renfroe (right elbow) and catcher Austin Hedges (right elbow) were both scheduled to play a full game Monday at Triple-A El Paso, the next step in their rehab efforts.
Renfroe has missed 27 games after being placed on the disabled list on April 21, and while there has been some speculation that he could rejoin the club soon, Green wasn't ready to put a timetable on his return.
"We're watching and seeing how he responds," Green said. "We're waiting to see how he, 1. performs, and 2. how he feels. We want to make sure he's ready to go before he comes back. We don't have a date marked out when Hunter will return, and we want to see how he responds each and every day."
Hedges' injury wasn't considered as serious as Renfroe's, but the team is still taking a wait-and-see approach to his return, as Green has been pleased with A.J. Ellis and Raffy Lopez as his catchers.
"His injury wasn't as tough on him as Hunter's was, so in Austin's case, we want to get him playing well before we bring him back," Green said. "If he's playing well and looking good and responding from a health perspective, which I really don't have any doubts on him right now, I think he'd probably be back sooner rather than later."