CINCINNATI -- The Padres have viewed Ethan Salas as their catcher of the future from the moment they signed him.
That future began Tuesday, with his callup to the big leagues.
Salas, the Padres’ top-ranked prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 overall, was promoted on Tuesday when rosters expanded to 28 players. If the 20-year-old Salas appears in a game behind the plate, he would be the youngest player to catch in a big league game since Ivan Rodriguez in 1991.
San Diego also recalled right-hander Jhony Brito from Triple-A and transferred Luis Rengifo to the 60-day injured list. The lefty-hitting Salas was out of the starting lineup Tuesday against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo.
Salas was one of the few prospects general manager A.J. Preller clung to amid various trade sprees in recent seasons. Just before this year’s Deadline, Salas was promoted to Triple-A El Paso -- then batted .326 with a .949 OPS over the past month.
“He’s had a great season this year,” said manager Craig Stammen. “He’s earned it. And that’s probably the coolest part about it.”
Salas is also one of the most advanced defenders in the Minor Leagues -- though it’s unclear whether the Padres intend to use him that way. San Diego’s catching tandem of Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin has been mostly solid in the second half. It seems likely Stammen would continue to rely on that duo behind the plate.
The need for Salas is much greater as a bench piece and a left-handed bat. Rengifo and Gavin Sheets landed on the IL over the weekend, and on Monday, the team revealed that Rengifo would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Salas was already squarely on the Padres’ radar for a September callup. But sources indicated that those injuries made it clear Salas was the best fit for the current roster. He can serve as a lefty weapon off the bench or a platoon partner at DH with, say, Austin Hays.
Salas’ presence also allows the Padres to be flexible with their backstops. They can pinch-hit as needed. They could also use Campusano in a DH role against left-handed pitching, with Salas as cover. Salas won’t take over regular catching duties. But he is expected to see time -- and probably even a few starts -- behind the plate.
“His left-handed bat is a big deal,” Stammen said. “And I think it also allows us to use [Campusano] as a DH, too. [We’ll] be able to use Freddy, Campy and Salas. We have three guys, so it doesn’t hurt, pinch-hitting for one. You still have two that you can use. Just a little bit more flexible.”
So … mostly a bench role for Salas. But if he hits?
“We’ll see,” Stammen said. “Go out and get a bunch of hits, it’s hard to keep a guy out of the lineup.”
The top-rated prospect in the 2023 international class, Salas’ path to the big leagues was anything but straightforward. The Padres promoted him quickly -- and Salas endured some notable early struggles as one of the youngest players at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues.
Then, his 2025 season was lost almost entirely due to injury -- a stress reaction in his back. Salas plummeted on most prospect rankings. And, just as quickly, he began ascending them again with a monster season this year. Beyond the numbers, Salas’ swing decisions and quality of contact have been excellent. There’s every reason to believe his resurgence is for real.
“It’s not easy to make it to the Major Leagues,” Stammen said. “It’s not easy to have that much fanfare or that much attention put onto somebody at that age -- and then still be able to perform. It hasn’t been just a steady climb to the Major Leagues. There have been some ups and downs.”
Under Preller, of course, the Padres have a lengthy history of promoting their prospects quickly to the big leagues. (At least, the ones they don’t trade.) Even still, Salas’ arrival is an extreme example.
The last time they carried a younger player? Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2019. The last -- and only -- younger player to appear at catcher for the Padres is 19-year-old Mike Ivie in 1971.
They’ve never shied away from their expectations for Salas as a core part of their future plans. Now, they’re welcoming him into the thick of a pennant race. Which is precisely the environment they envisioned for Salas when he signed in January 2023.
“It’s a success story for the entire organization,” Stammen said.
And it’s one they hope is only just beginning.