Padres demote leadoff batter Venable to Triple-A

The San Diego Padres have demoted slumping leadoff hitter Will Venable to Triple-A Tucson. Venable was hitting just .224 with no homers in 134 at-bats. He was one of a handful of players the Padres were counting on to have a solid season offensively. Manager Bud Black says it's better for Venable to work on his hitting in the minors rather than in big league games. Chris Denorfia will move into Venable's starting spot in right field. To take Venable's spot on the 25-man roster, the Padres selected outfielder Blake Tekotte from Double-A San Antonio. The move came in the midst of a brutal slump at Petco Park. San Diego has lost four of its first five in an eight-game homestand, scoring just five runs on 29 hits with 52 strikeouts.