Webster Rivas

BIOGRAPHY

Webster Rivas was born August 8, 1990, in Nagua, Dominican Republic. He is a catcher in the MLB.

On December 21, 2016, Rivas signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres organization. He split the 2017 season between the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps and the Double-A San Antonio Missions, slashing .268/.335/.366 with 2 home runs and 30 RBI in 64 games. Rivas was invited to spring training in 2018, but did not make the team and was assigned to San Antonio, where he spent the year, hitting .276/.319/.373 with four home runs and 23 RBI.

Rivas was again invited to spring training in 2019, but again did not make the club and was assigned to the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles. He split the year between Amarillo and the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, batting .281/.371/.420 with career-highs in home runs (6) and RBI (36). Rivas did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was added to the Padres’ 60-man player pool for the season but did not appear for the major league club. He was assigned to El Paso to begin the 2021 season and hit one home run with five RBI in 10 games to begin the year.

On May 28, 2021, Rivas was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time, starting at catcher for San Diego in that day's game against the Houston Astros. Rivas went 0-for-3 in the game but recorded his first caught stealing, gunning down Astros outfielder Myles Straw at second base. On May 30, Rivas recorded his first major league hit, home run, and RBI, with a solo, shot off of Astros starter Zack Greinke.