PEORIA, Ariz. -- Wade LeBlanc, who arrived in Spring Training with a remote chance of earning a spot in the rotation, was optioned to Triple-A Portland on Tuesday as the Padres continue to whittle down the number of pitchers in camp.

Pitchers Mike Ekstrom, Cesar Carrillo and infielder Travis Denker were also optioned to Portland on Tuesday.

Additionally, pitchers Chris Britton and Matt Buschmann, infielder Pete Ciofrone, catcher Mitch Canham and outfielder Cedric Hunter were reassigned to Minor League camp.

Two other players, outfielder Luis Durango and pitcher Jackson Quezada, were optioned to Class A Lake Elsinore.

LeBlanc and Britton were probably the most surprising moves of the bunch.

LeBlanc allowed seven earned runs in six innings while walking five over three appearances this spring. He allowed three runs and walked three in two innings during a 10-7 loss on Sunday against Texas in Surprise, Ariz.

This followed the 8.02 ERA that LeBlanc posted in five appearances with the Padres last September.

"There's some things in his game that he has to clean up a little bit," Padres manager Bud Black said. "There is no doubt that he can do it. But his time in Spring Training with us is not now.

"He shows flashes of putting pitches together in an at-bat. At other times you will see a four- or five-pitch walk. He knows that to get where he needs to be, every pitch has to have a purpose."

Internally, at least, the three leading contenders for the No. 5 spot in the rotation are Josh Geer, Cesar Ramos and Walter Silva, though Geer allowed six runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday against the Angels.

As for Britton, the Padres signed him to a Minor League deal during the offseason with hopes he would become the eighth-inning specialist they needed to replace new closer, Heath Bell, who held down that job the previous two seasons.

The signing of former Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez on Sunday more or less ended any chance that Britton would make the team, as Sanchez has the type of power arm that the team wants in an eighth-inning specialist.

Britton had a 4.50 ERA in five games with four walks in five innings. By letting Britton know this now, the Padres allowed him the chance to sign with another team, though the Padres wouldn't mind retaining him in the organization.

Black said he would have a better idea of what Britton's intentions were in a couple days.

With Tuesday's moves, the Padres now have 45 players in camp, including 31 players who are on the 40-man roster and 14 non-roster invitees.