PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres made their second round of camp cuts on Friday, giving them 55 players remaining in big league camp.
Right-handed pitcher Cesar Vargas, who agreed to a Major League deal with the team in November, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso.
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Vargas appeared in three Cactus League games this spring, allowing four earned runs in five innings. He allowed six hits, three walks and had five strikeouts.
San Diego manager Andy Green said that in his conversation with Vargas, he said he felt he was trying to be "too fine" with his stuff in games. Green did praise the cut fastball that Vargas showed on occasion.
Right-handed pitchers Luis Diaz, Carlos Pimentel and Johnny Hellweg were on the move Friday, reassigned to Minor League camp.
Diaz appeared in two spring games and tossed two scoreless innings. Pimentel allowed seven runs, all unearned, on six hits in 1 2/3 innings. Hellweg allowed five earned runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.
The Padres started camp with 62 players -- five have now been reassigned to their Minor League camp, Vargas was optioned to El Paso, and earlier this week, veteran infielder Skip Schumaker retired.
Worth noting
• In order to get pitchers some innings outside of Cactus League games, the Padres opted to send Robbie Erlin and Casey Janssen to the Minor League side on Friday to face live hitters.