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MLBFeature
Padres play the long game: Keeping Ethan Salas in the minors
TL;DR
The San Diego Padres are keeping top prospect Ethan Salas in the minors despite a catching void, opting for his development over immediate promotion. Salas is performing well at Double-A, but the team believes further seasoning is necessary before his major league debut.
Key points
- Ethan Salas is the Padres' top catching prospect.
- The team opted to promote Rodolfo Duran instead of Salas.
- Salas is hitting .322 with five home runs in 2026.
- The Padres are the fourth-oldest team in the majors.
- The decision to keep Salas in the minors is aimed at long-term success.
San Diego PadresEthan SalasLuis CampusanoChicago Cubs
Salas needs some seasoning
Yes, his call-up could be on the horizon. But the organizational mindset appears to have changed toward Salas. It makes sense to keep him at the team’s Double-A affiliate, San Antonio, and let Salas develop his skills without pressure from above. A very different approach to the standard in today’s baseball, where teams bring up top prospects and let them develop at the big league level. One problem with that equation for the Friars is that their prized prospect has not played much in his minor league career. Salas nearly missed the entire 2025 season (played 10 games) due to a lower back stress reaction. Team doctors believe injuries of this nature are common for young catchers who are handling a professional baseball workload for the first time. The lost season hindered his growth, leaving him behind front-office expected development projections. View Link He has put together quite a body of work in the first month of the 2026 season. Salas is hitting .322/.398/.567 with five home runs, 17 RBI, and a .965 OPS in 26 games. The 19-year-old backstop is a slick defender who is figuring it out in the batter’s box. Despite the early-season success, the club feels staying in the minors is the best course for long-term success in the majors. However, a hot bat could expedite his target date.
Q&A
Why are the Padres keeping Ethan Salas in the minors?
The Padres believe that Ethan Salas needs more development time in the minors to enhance his skills and avoid pressure from major league expectations.
What are Ethan Salas's current statistics in the minors?
Ethan Salas is hitting .322 with five home runs and 17 RBI in 26 games during the 2026 season.
When might Ethan Salas make his major league debut?
Ethan Salas could make his major league debut after the All-Star break if he continues to perform well and the team's circumstances change.
