Months after signing for $5.6 million as an international free agent, 16-year-old Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas made his professional debut on Tuesday night, batting second for Single A Lake Elsinore.
Salas immediately made a strong first impression, going 2-for-3 with a walk, double and run scored to spearhead a 3–1 victory.
Salas, who turns 17 on Thursday, is the first player born in 2006 to play in the minor leagues. His signing set a record for the largest bonus ever given out to an international amateur in the hard cap bonus era.