DENVER -- At one point during his pregame gathering with reporters Tuesday, Padres manager Bud Black stopped mid-sentence and summoned backup catcher Luke Carlin over to the scrum to ask him a question.

Carlin, who at that point was wondering if he had done something wrong, jogged over and stood before his manager.

"You played second [base] in Portland?" Black asked Carlin, succinctly.

Carlin replied that he had played some second base for Triple-A Portland earlier in the season before he was promoted to San Diego.

Why is this important? Because as of Tuesday, the Padres essentially have no infielders on their bench, after Craig Stansberry was optioned to Portland to make room for right-handed pitcher Clay Hensley.

After squeezing 4 1/3 innings from their bullpen in Monday's 15-8 win over Colorado and having used relievers to cover 18 1/3 innings in the past five games, the Padres on Tuesday opted, at least temporarily, to carry 13 pitchers, giving them an extra arm to use in long relief, if needed.

Reliever Brett Tomko, who was signed to a Major League contract on Friday, would normally fill that role, but he's developed a cranky right elbow and likely won't pitch Tuesday or Wednesday.

That means that Tuesday, the Padres have on the bench first baseman Tony Clark, Carlin and outfielders Paul McAnulty and Scott Hairston. If the Padres get in a pinch and need an extra infielder, Black said that Carlin and possibly Hairston, a former second baseman, could certainly fill in. He even mentioned catcher Michael Barrett, who was originally a third baseman.

But Black is hoping it doesn't come to that.

If we run into a problem in one game, then tomorrow we'll make a corresponding move," Black said. "But I think for tonight's game, it's more important to get help on the pitching side. We've used our bullpen a lot."

Enter Hensley, who, after beginning the 2007 season in the Padres' starting rotation, has had all sorts of bad luck regarding injuries. Hensley was 1-1 with a 3.25 ERA in 14 games -- eight starts -- with Portland. He threw 100 pitches in his last start on June 26 and would have started Tuesday against Sacramento had he not been recalled.

Hensley was troubled by injuries that ranged from blisters on his throwing hand, to groin problems and later right shoulder trouble that eventually led to labrum surgery in September.

He started slowly in Spring Training and eventually went to Class A Lake Elsinore before heading to Portland in June after experiencing some soreness in the shoulder.

"It hasn't been 100 percent until about 3 1/2 weeks ago," Hensley said. "... The big thing for me is I know, mentally, that it's fixed and not hurting me. I can go out there and pitch."