What Ethan Salas’ Spring Usage Really Says About His 2026 Role

The San Diego Padres have young catcher Ethan Salas patiently waiting to make his Major League debut, and it's evident by his usage this spring that he still needs plenty more time to develop in the minors before that happens.

Salas, 19, participated in Cactus League play this spring as a non-roster invite for the Padres. The catcher went 2-for-9 in his limited at-bats.

San Diego has high hopes for Salas as he is the organization's No. 2 prospect, but he still needs time to acclimate to this high level of pitching. He missed a majority of the 2025 season because of a back injury, which certainly hampered his progress in the minors.

Salas skyrocketed to Double-A at just 17 years old in 2023, but his development has since slowed down as he tries to find success at the plate. He hit .206 with an OPS of .599 in High-A during the 2024 season.

He played in just 10 games last season — all at Double-A — where he hit .188 with an OPS of .544. Though a small sample size, Salas evidently needs more time developing his bat.

Earlier this week, the Padres reassigned Salas to minor league camp in an effort to shrink the roster as Opening Day quickly approaches. Salas won't make his MLB debut anytime soon, but he is poised to play a big role for the organization in the future. This year, he'll likely start the year in Double-A — but could even start in High-A.

He's certainly someone to monitor in the minors and will be a participant in the Spring Breakout game on March 14.

Who Do the Padres Have Available at Catcher?

The Padres have already established who their primary catcher will be in Freddy Fermin. The Friars acquired the backstop last summer at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals.

The Padres traded right-handed pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek in exchange for Fermin, who is set to be the team's starting catcher in 2026. The arrival of Fermin last season was an immediate upgrade for the Padres, who were using Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz in 2025.

Fermin slashed .244/.278/.339 at the plate in 42 games with the Padres last season. Now, he'll take on his first tull-time starting role in 2026.

Fermin spoke to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune about the advice he's received ahead of the season.

“Nothing really changes,” Fermin, speaking through interpreter Jorge Merlos, said of his new role. “It’s the same game. You’ve prepared and whatever you’ve learned throughout your career, you know what to do. It’s the same thing. It’s the same game, same baseball that you’re going to go out there and play.

“Just keep doing your thing and you’ll be able to be successful.”

As for who is set to be the backup to Fermin, longtime Padres catcher Luis Campusano will again get his shot at maintaining a permanent roster spot at the big league level. The Padres are hoping this is finally the year the former top prospect puts things together.

“I think literally, like the full organization, this whole building, is rooting for Campy,” pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “We need Campy to be good.”

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