PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres' most hotly contested spring training position battle has been resolved by default. Young prospect Khalil Greene will be the team's starting shortstop, declared the winner by virtue of an out-of-left-field decision by veteran competitor Rey Ordonez to leave camp for good.

The Padres had granted Ordonez a temporary leave of absence on Tuesday morning to fly home to Florida and deal with family issues. But Towers spoke with Ordonez's agent, Adam Katz, on Friday and came to the conclusion that the slick-fielding Ordonez is highly unlikely to return to the club because of issues related entirely to baseball.

"What I more or less got from his agent," Towers said, "is (that) this is the first time in his career that he had to battle for a job, and I think he looked at his competition and he thought (Greene) was playing very well.

"He thought that his chances probably weren't real good, and he was probably right. He had a good spring for us, but I think he realized that Greene was our future shortstop and likely to make the team as a starter. Rather than continue to fight it out with him, he decided to take off."

Both Ordonez and Katz were unavailable for comment Friday.

Ordonez, a three-time Gold Glove winner with the New York Mets from 1997-99, signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Jan. 16. He spent last season with Tampa Bay.

The team invited him to spring training to provide an experienced fallback in case Greene, the 13th overall pick in the 2002 draft, proved unprepared for everyday duty after getting his first taste of the big leagues last September.

But Greene, 24, has exceeded the Padres' high expectations this spring by playing flawless defense and batting .345 after going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs Friday in a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee.

Never a strong hitter, Ordonez wasn't far off with a .304 spring average, and the Padres fully expected the duel for the starting job to go down to the wire.

"I was surprised that he decided not to come back," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said of Ordonez. "It was a tight race and it was going to go deep into spring before we made that decision. He was playing very well. But it sounds like he didn't think his chances were real good."

The Padres will determine in the next couple days what to do with Ordonez. Towers said he made trade inquiries Friday afternoon with a few clubs who are on the hunt for middle infielders. If no deal can be reached, Ordonez will be released or placed on the restricted list.

"I would say the chances of him coming back are very, very slim," Towers said.

The future become now for Greene, who won the Golden Spikes Award as college baseball's premier player as a senior at Clemson in 2002. He batted only .215 in 20 games during his late-season promotion last year, a performance that was attributed to a year and a half of nearly continuous play. A full offseason of rest, mixed with training, appears to have served him well.

"I'm not really going to do anything differently just because Rey's not coming back," Greene said. "I"m going to go about my business like I'm still trying to win a job, and I still think I am trying to do that. I'm not going to hold back or anything."

Green will be backed up by Ramon Vazquez, 26, the team's regular shortstop in 2003.

"We thought (the competition) was pretty equal," Towers said. "But we said all along that it was really Khalil's job to win. We haven't made any secrets that we'd like to see him win the job if we feel he's ready. And all indications so far this spring are that he is.

"He's probably had as good a spring offensively as anybody we have here."

Backup plan

The Padres are making contingency plans in case first baseball Phil Nevin (strained shoulder) isn't fit to play in the first couple of series in the regular season. Towers said Brian Buchanan probably would start against left-handed pitchers and Jeff Cirllo and Ramon Vazquez would be the primary options against righties.

Short hops

RHP Andy Ashby, the former Padre who is trying to make a comeback with the team, reported to spring training Friday. Coming off reconstructive elbow surgery in October, Ashby will rehabilitation his elbow with the Padres this season before attempting a big-league return in 2005. … 3B Sean Burroughs left Friday night's 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Peoria Stadium after two innings because of lower back stiffness. Manager Bruce Bochy said the removal was strictly precautionary and that Burroughs could have continued playing if it were the regular season. … RHP Ismael Valdez started and allowed no runs and one hit in two innings, but general manager Kevin Towers indicated the veteran is being considered only for the bullpen. LHP Sterling Hitchcock appears to have secured the fifth starting spot. … CF Jay Payton might test his hamstring injury in minor-league games over the weekend.

BALLPARK TOUR

A look at baseball's other stadiums, from oldest to newest, as we count down to Petco Park's April 8 opener. The 11th of 29:

METRODOME

Team: Minnesota Twins

Opened: 1982

Cost: $68 million

Capacity: 48,678

Dimensions: LF 343 feet, LC 385, CF 408, RC 367, RF 327

Fast facts: The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is the only dome in the major leagues whose roof is supported by air. It requires 250,000 cubic feet of air pressure per minute to keep the roof inflated, and fans enter through revolving doors to ensure the pressure remains steady. The NFL's Vikings share the facility, which produced one of the stadium's signature spots. The 23-foot "Big Blue Baggy" wall in right field hides 7,600 retractable seats that are used for football. When the Twins are good and the fans are roaring, the Metrodome can be the loudest park in the majors. Decibel levels reached 125 during the 1987 World Series, louder than the peak of a rock concert.

Did you know?: The dome has seen one postponement. On April 14, 1983, with the Angels visiting, heavy snowfall caused the roof to tear and deflate.

Sources: Minnesota Twins media guide, ballparks.com