Padres Promote Top Prospect Salas for September Stretch

San Diego added 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas to its active roster, along with recalling right-hander Jhony Brito from Triple-A. Salas hit .326 with a .949 OPS in Triple-A after a strong Double-A stint. He could become the youngest catcher to appear in an MLB game since Pudge Rodriguez in 1991.
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Salas's path to the majors included a difficult 2025 season, when injuries limited him to just ten games and knocked him off many top-100 prospect lists. His 2026 campaign reversed that trajectory, with his production actually improving after a late-July promotion to El Paso, where he posted a strong on-base percentage and more walks than strikeouts.
The roster move also addressed a lineup imbalance, as injuries to Luis Rengifo and Gavin Sheets had left San Diego without a left-handed bat. Brito's