Padres' Young Catcher Makes Big League Debut | MLB News

0:00On September 2nd, yo, so check it, the Padres just called of Ethan Salas and this dude is young, like the youngest catcher in the Big League since. Ivan Rodriguez way back in 1991. He's their top prospect, the catcher of the future, but for now they're looking at him as a third catcher and the left-handed bat off the bench. He got the call Monday night and was on a plane Tuesday, but he missed the first pitch of their game in Cincinnati. He finally got into the dugout in the third inning, greeting his teammates. Salas said it's been a whirlwind, but pretty cool, just happy to be there. He mentioned the end goal isn't just getting to the majors, it's about staying there. The Padres signed him as a top international prospect, seeing him as their future behind the plate and they pushed him through the miners pretty fast. But his journey wasn't exactly smooth sailing. He struggled at higher levels and even lost most of 2025 to a back injury. This year though, he's been hitting well over 290 with a good on-base percentage and he credits

1:01being healthy and just enjoying the game more. For his success, now he's jumping into a playoff race with only 23 games left and the National League Wildcard spot is super tight. Salas seems unfazed, saying it's exciting and he's just focused on doing his best to win every day, not feeling any extra pressure. The Padres aren't planning to overload him, knowing how tough it is to catch at that age. He'll get some starts behind the plate, pinch hit and maybe even see time at designated hitter against Rides. But Salas is just focused on being himself and helping the team win. Stay tuned with MLB News Today, AI-powered updates.