The Padres’ Tuesday night loss to the Reds was frustrating enough on its own, but the bigger storyline in San Diego arrived after the game: Ethan Salas is officially in the majors.
San Diego fell 4-3 and dropped to 73-66 after Adrian Morejon gave up two earned runs on two hits in the eighth inning, a stretch that turned a tight game into a loss. Randy Vásquez kept the Padres in it by allowing two earned runs while striking out three over 4.2 innings. Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui then combined for four strikeouts and just one hit allowed across 2.1 innings, but the damage came late.
Fernando Tatis Jr. tried to carry the offense by himself, launching solo homers in the fifth and ninth innings. Samad Taylor and Jackson Merrill also turned in two-hit nights.
Still, the night belonged to the roster move that brought Salas into the picture. The Padres officially selected the contract of the 20-year-old catcher along with a right-handed pitcher after rosters expanded to 28 players from 26. In a corresponding move, Luis Rengifo was placed on the 60-day injured list because he is done for the year.
Salas started the 2026 season in Double-A and has climbed quickly since then. In 24 Triple-A games, he has hit .326/.410/.539 with a .949 OPS, and that production has only intensified the question surrounding his MLB debut.
Manager Craig Stammen said the club is still sorting out exactly how Salas will be used once he gets into a game.
"I think there's a lot of different ideas on the table and ultimately we'll have to make the decision and decide when that first game is for him," Stammen said ahead of Tuesday's game in which Salas didn't play. "Catching or DHing or whatever."
The call-up also came with a bit of recognition around the league. MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted two Padres would finish the season with end-of-year awards, adding another note to what has been a season with plenty of movement and uncertainty.
For now, though, the immediate headline is Salas. The Padres brought him up, he was in the dugout with his new teammates, and the wait for his debut suddenly got a lot shorter.
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