To give a roster spot to any of the  three players, The Padres  designated pitcher Cory Burns for assignment.

Major League Baseball’s deadline to protect players was Tuesday at 8:59 p.m. PT. Since Portillo, Ascenio and Decker made the 40-man roster, they are protected from the Rule 5 draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 6

Courtesy: Fort Wayne Tin Caps

Portillo is a 20-year-old prospect who pitched between Single-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio in 2012.  This past season he made 18 starts with Fort Wayne and with 6-6 with a 1.87 ERA.

Asencio, 23, also played the 2012 season at Single-A Fort Wayne where he was crowned  the Midwest League batting champ. The Dominican took the batting crown by hitting .323 with 21 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 61 RBI and 47 runs scored in 92 games.

Decker,22, played in 56 games between Rookie-Level Peoria and  Double-A San Antonio. Decker hit .201 with four doubles, four triples, four home runs and 16 RBIs in those 56 games.  Decker missed much of the 2012 season with a foot injury.