Overview
- The Padres formally selected Salas’s contract on Tuesday, Sept. 1, moved Luis Rengifo to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot, and recalled right-hander Jhony Brito from Triple-A.
- Salas earned the call after a 2026 rebound that included a combined .296/.374/.448 across Double-A and Triple-A and a .326/.410/.539 line in 24 games with Triple-A El Paso.
- The promotion begins Salas’s major-league service-time and 40-man roster clock, which affects his club control timeline and keeps him on track for rookie eligibility in 2027 if his playing time is limited.
- Padres manager Craig Stammen said the team is comfortable with Salas’s defense and views him as a left-handed option against right-handed pitching, though his immediate role—catcher, DH or pinch-hitter—has not been finalized.
- Signed for a $5.6 million international bonus in 2023, Salas’s rise follows an aggressive early promotion, a 2025 back injury, and a 2026 resurgence, and his big-league debut could influence both San Diego’s late-season roster choices and the prospect’s long-term development.