Padres' Jackson Merrill: May miss more than another week
Rotowire
Padres manager Mike Shildt said Friday that it would be "a little aggressive" for Merrill to be ready to return to action at the start of San Diego's next homestand, which begins April 25, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Merrill has already missed the minimum amount of required time after being placed on the 10-day injured list April 8. However, the rising star appears set to be out for at least another week given his manager's comments. Shildt added that Merrill will need to "progress to a good consistent jog" before he is able to take the next step in his recovery and indicated that the team isn't yet putting a timeline on the outfielder's return. Brandon Lockridge initially replaced Merrill in center field but has since landed on the IL with a hamstring injury of his own, so Tyler Wade has started three of the Padres' past four games in center.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Held out of lineup again
Rotowire
Merill (hamstring) is not in the Padres' lineup against the Athletics on Tuesday.
Merill will miss his second straight game as he continues tending to his hamstring. This comes as an expected precaution, but if he misses any more games it would exceed the original timeline for his absence. Like Monday, Brandon Lockridge has the start in center field.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Headed to injured list
Rotowire
The Padres placed Merrill on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right hamstring strain.
Merrill's hamstring has kept him out of the lineup since Monday, and he hasn't been recovering as quickly as the team would like. In an effort to prioritize his long-term health, the Padres will now send the young outfielder to the injured list to give him ample time to recover and ensure his hamstring doesn't remain an issue for the rest of the season. Oscar Gonzalez was recalled from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Nursing hamstring issue
Rotowire
Merrill is being held out of Monday's starting lineup against the Athletics due to a hamstring injury, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Acee notes that Merrill has been playing through a minor hamstring issue for a few games, and the team has ultimately elected to give him a day or two off as a precaution. Brandon Lockridge is getting the start in center field Monday and would likely be in line for another chance Tuesday if Merrill misses more time.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Getting first day off
Rotowire
Merrill is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Athletics.
It's the first day off this season for Merrill, who homered Sunday for his third long ball in 10 games. Brandon Lockridge is starting in center field and batting eighth in Monday's series opener.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Goes deep Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Cubs.
Merrill kickstarted the Padres' rally while down 7-3 with a two-run blast to center field in the fourth. He leads the team early on with three homers, all of which have come in his last five games. Merrill has posted a hit in all but one game so far this season and is pacing the ballclub with a .378 batting average and 10 RBI.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Nabs massive nine-year extension
Rotowire
Merrill and the Padres agreed Wednesday on a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Per Murray, the nine-year deal can max out at $165 million if Merrill reaches 500 plate appearances in every season of the contract and also includes a $30 million club option for the 2035 season that can be converted to a player option. The 21-year-old Merrill was rewarded with the lavish deal after earning an All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award while finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year Award balloting in 2024, when he slashed .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 90 RBI and 77 runs in 593 plate appearances. He's gotten off to a strong start through the Padres' first six games of 2025, going 8-for-20 with a home run and a 2:3 BB:K.
Padres' Jackson Merrill: Plates four runs in opener
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-3 with four RBI in Thursday's 7-4 win against Atlanta.
Merrill managed to knock in more than half of San Diego's seven runs despite reaching base just once on a single. He plated the Padres' first two runs with the first-inning hit, brought another runner home with a third-inning groundout and finished his day with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The performance was a strong start to Merrill's sophomore campaign as he looks to build upon last season's second-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Padres' Jackson Merrill: Belts fourth long ball of spring
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Cactus League victory versus the Diamondbacks.
Merrill opened the scoring in the contest with a 411-foot, two-run shot to right field in the first inning. The 21-year-old has slashed .244/.244/.556 this spring with four home runs and 10 RBI over 45 plate appearances. He hasn't yet taken a walk, but Merrill posted just a 5.0 percent walk rate as a rookie last year and still finished with an .826 OPS and a second-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting, so his aggressiveness at the plate shouldn't be a cause for concern.
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