San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas made his major league debut Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the youngest player to catch in an MLB game since Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.
At 20 years, 93 days old, Salas, the Padres’ top prospect and the youngest current player in the majors, batted sixth in the lineup and started behind the plate in a 7-3 road loss. He was hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts.
Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers at age 19 in 1991.
“He’s a very mature kid and a very smart kid,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said of Salas on Tuesday. “He’s been around big league camp the last few years so, you know, he’s gotten a taste of what it’s like to be around the guys and compete in spring training with the best players.”
Salas, who signed with the Padres in 2023 for a record $5.6 million bonus as a top international prospect, progressed quickly through their minor league system despite a back injury that caused him to miss most of the 2025 season.
He batted .286 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 72 games this year at Double-A. After being promoted to Triple-A on July 29, Salas hit .326 with three homers and 24 RBIs.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
