Tim Federowicz optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque

Following their 9-3 loss to the Padres on Tuesday night, the Dodgers optioned catcher Tim Federowicz to Triple-A Albuquerque, an expected transaction that clears room on the active roster for Chad Billingsley, who will be activated Wednesday before his scheduled start in the second game of the series.

Federowicz was 0-for-3 with a walk on Sunday, the one game he played in the season's opening week. He moved down the depth chart on Saturday when the Dodgers traded pitcher Aaron Harang to the Rockies for catcher Ramon Hernandez.

"It's tough. It's one of those things as a young player. I have options left, and that's just the way it is," Federowicz said before Tuesday's game. "You need some protection at the catchers spot if someone were to get hurt. We only had two on the roster, so they figured they had to do something."

Billingsley pitched in a minor league rehab game on Thursday with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, and has been battling a right finger contusion that prevented him during spring training from throwing curve balls. This will be his second consecutive outing on five days rest as opposed to the usual four days.

"As a starer you like to get in that routine of pitching every five days, but an extra day of rest now and then is good for your body," Billingsley said before Tuesday's game.

Thanks to early off days last Thursday and on Monday, beginning with Josh Beckett on Tuesday all five Dodgers starting pitchers will pitch this time through the rotation on five days rest