Padres Catching Prospect Will Play In AFL This Offseason

The Padres are sending the No. 82 prospect in baseball to the AFL.

Feb 12, 2024; Peoria, AZ, USA; A general view of a hat belonging to a member of the San Diego Padres during a workout day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres are fighting to secure a National League Wild Card spot and return to the postseason for the fourth time in the last six years. Their Major League roster is in good shape as they try to make a World Series run this coming October. They were active at the trade deadline and even traded some top prospects to strengthen their roster.

However, they still have some solid prospects in their system that could make some noise in the near future. Their top prospect is catcher Ethan Salas.

He has been out since April due to a back injury. However, according to MLB.com, Salas will take part in the Arizona Fall League at the end of the season to make up for his lost time this year.

Padres Top Prospect To Play In AFL

Feb 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (90) looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

"Back spasms threw a wrench into Salas' early-season plans, and he hasn’t appeared in game action since April 17. The Padres were optimistic his recovery would simply require rest and wouldn't impact his development much, aside from the missed games, initially projecting a late July return. But Salas' injury has been slow to heal, per reports, pushing back that timeline. The Padres are sending him to the Arizona Fall League, where he is the second-youngest player on an initial AFL roster at 19 years old."

The Padres signed Salas as an international free agent back in January of 2023 and began his professional career that season at the age of 17. He had made it up to Double-A San Antonio that year, but didn't get back there in 2024.

He played just 10 games at Double-A this year before being placed on the injured list. He had a bit of a rough season in 2024m hitting .206/.288/.311 with four home runs, 53 RBI and a .599 OPS.

Before the injury this year, he was slashing just .188/.325/.219 with a .544 OPS. But the Arizona Fall League is often a place where organizations can get a better look at some of their top prospects and give them some reps, and a place for players to make up for lost time due to injuries.

The Padres will certainly hope that the 19-year-old catcher can find his rhythm in the AFL and build some momentum coming into 2026. We'll see how he fares this coming fall.

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