CINCINNATI -- The moment Ethan Salas had spent his entire life chasing finally arrived Wednesday afternoon.
At just 20 years old, Salas made his Major League debut against the Cincinnati Reds – trading the anticipation of a top prospect for the reality of suiting up behind the dish for the San Diego Padres in the final month of a tight playoff race.
"He's a very good, very talented player," Padres manager Craig Stammen said.
Unfortunately for the young backstop, his first taste of the big leagues didn't produce a win, as San Diego dropped the rubber match 7-3 at Great American Ball Park.
After receiving the call Monday night that he would be joining the club as part of the Sept. 1 expanded roster, Salas arrived in Cincinnati in the third inning of Tuesday's game. The following day, he would then be inserted into the sixth spot in the starting lineup for the final game of a six-game road trip.
Although MLB pipeline's No. 23 prospect didn't have the day at the plate he envisioned, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, the 20-year-old made history, becoming the youngest catcher in the majors since Iván Rodríguez made his debut for the Texas Rangers in 1991.
"Behind the plate, I saw the same kid coming up through the minor leagues and the guy that we've had in spring training," Stammen said. "His at-bats are gonna be great, he's gonna be just fine."
Salas' first task in the majors was catching former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize, who made his sixth start in the Brown and Gold on a scorching hot Wednesday afternoon. Despite being handed an early 3-0 lead, the right-hander struggled with the long ball in the second inning, surrendering a three-run homer to Juan Brito that tied the game before Hector Rodriguez's go-ahead solo blast put Cincinnati ahead 4-3.
Mize's efforts earned him his ninth loss of the season as he exited after four innings, allowing five hits while striking out four and walking one. The right-hander has allowed at least one home run in five of his six starts with San Diego, including multiple homers for the second time in his last three starts. Since being acquired by San Diego at the Trade Deadline, Mize owns a 6.67 ERA across 27 innings — a stark contrast to the 2.70 ERA he posted in 16 starts with Detroit to begin the season.
"I think one of the things is just getting him comfortable here," Stammen said. "We're still working on that."
A bright spot for San Diego in the series finale came from first baseman Ty France, who launched his 20th home run of the season, tying the career high he set in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners. France has proved to be a consistent bat in a streaky Padres lineup, which went 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position across the last two games.
"He's had an unbelievable season thus far," Stammen said. "He's gone above and beyond the expectations that we had."
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
San Diego (73-67) concludes the road swing with a 1-5 record and heads back to Petco Park tied for the third and final National League Wild Card spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"I think we didn't play our best baseball, especially here in Cincinnati," Stammen said. "I think we should be thankful, because somebody didn't run away with the third wild card spot that we're fighting for. We're still right where we want to be."
The Padres will begin an interleague series against the New York Yankees on Friday night at Petco Park, with Walker Buehler (8-6, 4.66 ERA) looking to get San Diego back on track while Carlos Rodón (4-3, 3.20 ERA) makes his 13th start of the season.