Padres place Matt Thornton on disabled list, promote Robbie Erlin

Relief pitcher Matt Thornton is the first Padres player to hit the disabled list this season, where he joins Buddy Baumann and Jon Edwards, who have been sidelined since Spring Training. To take Thornton's place on the roster, the Padres called up fellow left-hander Robbie Erlin from AAA El Paso. Erlin was the other finalist for the final spot in the San Diego rotation that went to Colin Rea, and was set to be used as a starter for the Chihuahuas, but instead he and his two healthy Achilles tendons will join the San Diego bullpen in Denver to take the place of Thornton and his one healthy one.

Source: Robbie Erlin is joining the Padres in Denver. Didn't start for El Paso yesterday (Jeremy Guthrie did).

— Dennis Lin (@sdutdennislin) April 8, 2016

DL for Thornton. Left Achilles. Stayed back in San Diego. Erlin in the bullpen.

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) April 8, 2016