Ethan Salas didn’t get a normal first day in the big leagues. He got an airport delay, a flight to Cincinnati, and a seat in the Padres dugout while his new team lost 4-3 to the Reds. By the time he finally arrived, the moment had already turned into a blur - but the significance was unmistakable.
The San Diego catcher is now in line to become the youngest catcher in the majors since Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez in 1991, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. And for Salas, the call from general manager A.J. Preller was the kind of phone call he had been waiting on for a long time.
“It’s a cool phone call, one you dream about every single day as a kid working toward your dreams,” Salas said.
He described the whole day as a whirlwind after getting the news last night, then boarding a plane this morning. By the time he got to the ballpark, the game was already underway, and he spent the night watching from the dugout.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Salas said later. “But it’s been pretty cool.
Got the call last night, and I was on a plane this morning. It’s been a long travel day.
Just happy to be here with the boys.”
Salas steps into a tricky spot on a Padres roster still chasing a wild card position. He’s now the third catcher on the depth chart, and manager Craig Stammen said Salas would have been the next pinch hitter if San Diego had pushed the game into extra innings in the ninth.
That makes the playing-time picture worth watching. Salas has been raking at Triple-A and needs at-bats to keep that momentum going. At the same time, Freddy Fermin is hitting .194, though the Padres still value him for his defense - the same area that stands out for Salas as well.
Stammen made clear the organization sees the promotion as a reward for what Salas has already done.
“It’s not easy to make it to the major leagues,” Stammen said after the game. “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.
… He’s had a great season this year. He’s earned it.
And that’s probably the coolest part about it.”
Salas said there’s no mystery formula behind his climb. The biggest difference, he said, has been health. Beyond that, he boiled it down to a simpler kind of rhythm.
“[I’m] playing more baseball,” Salas said. “Enjoying the game more.
Finding these little things in the game where you kind of just go into the flow state and you just enjoy the game every single day. I think that’s brought a lot of success.”
With 23 games left after last night, Salas now lands in a late-season race where every decision gets sharper. He doesn’t sound interested in making it bigger than it is.
“It’s exciting,” Salas said. “No added pressure.
Just go out there and do my best to win every single day. I think that’s the mindset everywhere.
I don’t think anything changes.”
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Craig Stammen acknowledged the need to manage Machados workload, but also suggested the club expects him back in the lineup for the stretch run. The backdrop is a slumping Padres team that has lost five of its last six and now sits a half-game behind the Diamondbacks for the final playoff spot, which leaves little margin for caution and even less room for error. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Prospect Is Giving This Thin Farm System Something To Hope For
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San Diego is still viewing Lascelles primarily as a middle infielder, with shortstop part of the conversation, and the early returns have only added to the intrigue. His hitting has already translated at a higher level, and the organization believes there is more power to come as he matures physically, which leaves him as one of the more interesting names to watch in the system even if the full picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Added Ethan Salas With One Big Lineup Question Ahead
Ethan Salas is now part of the Padres major league roster, giving the club another look at its top prospect at a time when every lineup decision feels a little more meaningful. Craig Stammen praised Salas for the way he has performed and for how ready he looked for the moment, while Salas talked about how much the support from his family and teammates has meant to him as he makes this jump.
Salas has already shown both offensive and defensive promise in Triple-A, which is why the move feels like more than a short-term fill-in. He even got the start against the Cincinnati Reds after the call-up, but the bigger question for San Diego is how much opportunity he gets next, and where he fits as the Padres try to balance development with the urgency of the moment. [Read more 🡒]