Catcher Ethan Salas is reportedly going to miss the rest of the minor league season due to injury, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders.
The San Diego Padres' top prospect left the San Antonio Missions' game on Saturday with a right knee injury, which was later diagnosed as a sprain. Per Sanders, Salas is being shut down for roughly four weeks, which means he is highly unlikely to be back in time for the start of the Texas League playoffs on Sept. 19.
Salas made headlines when he shot up to Double-A at 17 years old in August, following just a few weeks in High-A. After hitting a walk-off double in extra innings to cap off his Double-A debut, Salas wound up hitting .179 with a .517 OPS over the course of his ultimately brief stint in San Antonio.
The Padres signed Salas to a $5.6 million deal back in January, burning almost all of their international bonus pool to bring in the Venezuelan catcher. The team invited Salas to spring training, although he only got one in-game at-bat and proceeded to ground out.
Salas started the season with Single-A Lake Elsinore, becoming the first player born in 2006 to appear in a minor league game, according to The Athletic. In 48 games, Salas hit .267 with nine home runs, 35 RBI, five stolen bases and an .837 OPS.
After winning California League Player of the Week three times and Player of the Month for July, Salas was promoted to High-A Fort Wayne. Even though he only hit .200 with a .427 OPS across nine games with the TinCaps, he still earned another call-up a few weeks later.
Salas is the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball and No. 1 in the Padres' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.
MLB.com has given Salas grades of 60 hit, 60 arm, 60 field, 55 power and 45 run.
If he can make it to the big leagues before June 1, 2025, Salas could wind up being the first player to make their MLB debut before their 19th birthday since Brian Milner in 1978. Milner played just two career games in the majors, compared to 362 in the minors.
Salas, despite this minor injury setback, is still in prime position to break that 45-year drought, in addition to contributing much more for the Padres once he does eventually reach the majors.
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