The San Diego Padres’ top prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, the only Friar prospect in the MLB top 100, was promoted from Double-A San Antonio to Triple-A El Paso today and was available for today’s game versus the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Salas, 20, will be the youngest player for the Chihuahuas by a large margin. First baseman Romeo Sanabria, 24, is the next youngest player for El Paso. He will also be the youngest Triple-A player in the league.
Salas, who missed most of the 2025 season to a back injury, has played in 72 games this season for Double-A San Antonio with a .286/.361/.417 batting line and leads the team in OBP. He has seven home runs and 13 doubles with 37 RBI in a league that suppresses hitting and is now going to one of the most hitter-friendly leagues in MILB.
Salas started the season hitting over .300 in both April and May with an over .500 slugging percentage in both months. He slumped in June, hitting .156 in 12 games with an oblique injury that sent him to the injured list later in the month. After returning to the team in July, Salas has returned to form with a .321 average in 16 games but has not hit a home run since May.
There has been some speculation that Salas has grown fatigued after missing most of last season and moving him to El Paso could give him a lift to end his season.
Salas is considered an MLB-level catcher and only needs to refine his offense to be MLB-ready for the Padres.
MLB Pipeline has Salas as the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball, and he is ranked the No. 3 catching prospect.
The young catcher throws right-handed but bats left-handed and has flashed most of his power against right-handed pitchers but has two home runs of his seven versus lefties. He was ranked as the top international prospect when signed in 2023 for $5.6 million. Salas debuted as a Single-A catcher at the age of 17 and has been at least four years younger than any other player in each league he has played in since then.
Jeremiah Estrada returns
The Padres activated RHP Jeremiah Estrada from the injured list after completing his rehab from the right knee inflammation that landed him on the 15-day IL in June. He began his rehab with the ACL Padres on July 17 and then was transferred to El Paso on July 21. In 3.2 innings of rehab action over the two teams, Estrada allowed one hit and no runs. His fastball topped out at 96 mph with El Paso, very close to his top velocity with the Padres.
In a corresponding move, RHP Matt Waldron was designated for assignment. He has been out of options all season and will have to clear waivers to stay in the organization. If he is claimed off waivers, it will be the end of Waldron’s tenure as a Padre.
