Padres Calling Up Top Prospect Ahead of Tuesday’s Game Against Reds

The San Diego Padres are set to call up their top prospect Ethan Salas ahead of Tuesday's matchup vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Salas is just 20 years and 91 days old. According to Sarah Langs, when he appears in a game, he will be the youngest player to appear as a catcher in a game since Ivan Rodriguez on October 2, 1991, at 19 years and 309 days.

Salas is slashing .296/.374/.448 with 31 extra-base hits in 96 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He was signed when he was just 16 years old and played in 66 games in Low-A and High-A as a 17-year-old.

"Salas is a defense-first prospect who stands out for his Gold Glove-caliber defense," Baseball America's scouting report reads. "He has ultra-soft hands, receives the ball well and does an outstanding job of controlling balls in the dirt. Salas’ transfers are quick, and he consistently delivers strong, accurate throws to bases. Between his plus arm, receiving skills and ability to handle pitching staffs, he emphatically checks a lot of boxes defensively. Salas’ offensive outlook is far more murky.

"Mechanically, he stands fairly tall in the lefthanded batter’s box with a slightly open front side and an ear-high handset. Salas has an under-control operation which includes a slight barrel tip that serves as a timing mechanism and a small stride. It’s a simple and easy swing without a whole lot of moving parts."

It will be interesting to see if Salas is in the lineup on Tuesday night.

Nick Lodolo to Start on Tuesday

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) pitches in the second inning between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, July 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Left-handed starter Nick Lodolo is set to take the mound for the Reds on Tuesday night. He has struggled over his last two starts, giving up 10 runs on 16 hits in just 7 1/3 innings.

Lodolo has been on the injured list twice with a blister this year and finally decided to change the grip on his breaking ball. However, he hasn't looked the same since.

“It’s more of a slider — I don’t know if gyro is the right word,” Lodolo told Fox 19's Charlie Goldsmith. “It’s not a huge difference (compared to the old grip). It’s a bit of a difference. The question is as I keep throwing it, week-to-week-to-week, does the shape stay the same or does it start reverting back to the other one.”

After putting together one of the best seasons of his career a year ago, Lodolo has struggled in 2026. The left-hander is 3-3 with a 5.24 ERA and has recorded just 64 strikeouts in 79 innings, a significant drop from the strikeout numbers he has posted throughout his career.

The Reds could really use a strong outing from Lodolo on Tuesday night.

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