The San Diego Padres have some difficult postseason roster decisions to make, including whether rookie catcher Ethan Salas will be part of an unusual three-catcher setup.
The San Diego Padres have already punched their ticket to October.
Now they face some difficult decisions about who comes with them.
One of the most intriguing involves rookie catcher Ethan Salas.
MLB.com's AJ Cassavell included Salas on his early projection of the Padres' postseason roster, along with catchers Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin.
That would give San Diego three catchers on its 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series.
Cassavell identified the catching situation as one of the Padres' biggest remaining roster questions. If San Diego decides against carrying three catchers, the club would have to choose which two make the cut.
Salas has given the Padres plenty to think about since his September promotion.
The 20-year-old played a key role when the Padres clinched a playoff berth against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
Salas broke up Tyler Glasnow's no-hit bid with a single in the sixth inning and eventually scored San Diego's first run. He added an RBI single in the seventh as the Padres rallied for a 4-2 victory.
That performance continued an impressive first month in the majors for a player who was recently named the Padres' Minor League Player of the Year.
Salas also made MLB history earlier this month when he became the youngest catcher ever to record a multi-homer game.
But the Padres' decision isn't simply about Salas.
Campusano and Fermin give San Diego two other options behind the plate, and roster spots could become even harder to find if injured position players Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andújar are ready for the postseason.
Cassavell reported that Sheets and Andújar have been getting regular at-bats at the Padres' complex in Peoria, Arizona, as they work toward potential returns.
His initial projection has San Diego keeping all three catchers, along with five infielders and six outfielders.
The Padres have not announced their Wild Card Series roster, so the three-catcher alignment remains only a projection.
But after Salas helped San Diego secure its place in October, the Padres now have to decide whether the 20-year-old will get a chance to make an impact there, too.
