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Padres Notes: SD Calls Up 2 Players, Major Award Predictions, When Will Ethan Salas Debut?

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Feb 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (90) hits a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (90) hits a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3, on Tuesday and fell to 73-66 on the year.

Randy Vásquez allowed two earned runs and struck out three across 4.2 innings on the mound. Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui combined for four strikeouts and just one hit allowed across the next 2.1 frames, but Adrian Morejon allowed a pair of earned runs off of two hits in the eighth inning that led to his third loss of the year.

On the offensive side of things, Fernando Tatis Jr. slugged two home runs in the fifth and ninth innings, both of which were solo shots. Samad Taylor and Jackson Merrill each enjoyed two-hit outings, as well.

In other news, there are two Friars predicted to have some end-of-season awards, per MLB insiderJim Bowden of The Athletic. It has been a tumultuous season, but longtime fans of baseball know it's not about how you start the year, but how you finish.

Additionally, the Padres officially selected the contract of 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas along with a right-handed pitcher now that rosters have expanded to 28 players (up from 26). In an unfortunate corresponding move, Luis Rengifo was moved to the 60-day injured list now that he is out for the remainder of the year.

Salas started the 2026 campaign in Double-A and now sits closer to realizing his MLB dream than ever before. In 24 Triple-A games, his slash line of .326/.410/.539 with an OPS of .949 only further pushes the question of when Salas will finally make his MLB debut.

Manager Craig Stammen revealed the plan for his young backstop moving forward and all the possibilities that may accompany his imminent debut.

"I think there's a lot of different ideas on the table and ultimately we'll have to make the decision and decide when that first game is for him," Stammen said ahead of Tuesday's game in which Salas didn't play. "Catching or DHing or whatever."

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres Predicted to Have 2 End-of-Season Award Winners in Major Surprise

Padres Officially Call Up Ethan Salas, Key Pitcher for Postseason Push

Padres Lineup vs Reds: Ethan Salas Not Starting, Fernando Tatis Jr Playing Second Base

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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