Ethan Salas will be sidelined for several weeks due to a back issue that, while not a serious injury, will keep him out of action until mid-year, slowing his development with the San Diego Padres.
“Padres No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas has a stress reaction in his lower back and will be out into July, general manager A.J. Preller said. The Padres are optimistic his recovery will simply require rest and won’t impact his development much, aside from the missed games,” AJ Cassavell wrote on X.
While Salas has yet to make his major league debut, the Padres have demonstrated significant faith in his potential to become a MLB catcher, a belief evident since the Venezuelan youngster joined the San Diego organization.
Salas Impressed in the Minors
Salas had a productive season in the minor leagues last year, posting batting averages of .228 and .206 across the two teams he played for. He saw the most action with the Fort Wayne, the Padres’ affiliate, where he played in 113 games out of his total 136 games played.
In 2025, despite having only 10 games under his belt, Salas was already hitting .188 and had contributed a total of five runs and six hits. His work behind the plate remained strong, consistent with previous years, and he was on track to potentially record his best batting average to date.
What’s Next for Salas?
For now, Salas’ focus is solely on recovery and aiming to return to his usual position where he has consistently excelled. He has a promising future in MLB with the Padres, who are likely to give him his debut opportunity in either 2026 or 2027, according to the latest scouting reports.
