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: 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: 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: 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
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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.
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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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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Merrill is absent from Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.
Merrill will get some additional rest Saturday with the Padres locked into a playoff spot, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Brandon Lockridge will start in center field and bat eighth.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Racks up three hits in win
Rotowire
Merrill went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's 5-0 win over the Giants.
Merrill entered Friday in a 1-for-18 slump over his last six games, but he was able to break out of it as one of four Padres to log multiple hits. The 21-year-old has recorded 13 games with three or more hits this year, and he has multiple extra-base hits in six of them. He's up to a .289/.321/.498 slash line with 23 home runs, 83 RBI, 73 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 25 doubles and six triples over 143 contests, despite being a rookie who skipped Triple-A.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Good to go Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill (knee) is starting in center field and batting seventh Sunday against the Giants.
The 21-year-old was held out of Saturday's lineup after fouling a ball off his knee Friday, but he'll return to action for Sunday's series finale. Merrill is in a bit of a mini-slump, as he's gone 0-for-8 with two strikeouts in his past three games.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: On bench again
Rotowire
Merrill (knee) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants.
Merrill suffered a patella contusion Friday after fouling a ball off his knee and he'll get the night off to rest and recover Saturday. X-rays on his knee came back negative, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Padres play it safe with the 21-year-old and hold him out through Monday's off day.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Suffers patella contusion
Rotowire
Merrill exited Friday's game after fouling a ball off his knee, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Merrill suffered the injury in the sixth inning but stayed in the game for an additional frame. He underwent X-rays after the game, which came back clean. The Padres may play it safe with the rookie, but Merrill appears to have avoided a serious injury.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Three hits, game-winning run in win
Rotowire
Merrill went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's extra-inning win over Detroit.
Merrill tallied hits in each of his first two at-bats, including a three-run homer off Keider Montero in the fourth to put the Padres on the board. The rookie outfielder would also add a ground rule double in the seventh before later scoring the game-winning run on a walk-off single from Fernando Tatis in the bottom of the 10th. Merrill continues to swing a hot bat and has now homered in three of his last six games, posting seven RBI and four runs over that stretch. He's also hit safely in 10 of his last 12 contests, while the long ball was his 22nd of the campaign.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Goes deep Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 4-3 win against Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Merrill broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with his two-run shot to center field. The long ball sent him off on a strong start to September after the rookie outfielder slashed .303/.343/.626 with seven home runs, 23 RBI, 18 runs and five steals in August. Per Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan, Merrill's 79 RBI on the campaign are tied with Benito Santiago for the most by a rookie in Padres franchise history.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Goes deep in loss
Rotowire
Merrill went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Twins on Wednesday.
Merrill's two-run blast in the eighth inning didn't have much of an impact on the outcome of the contest, as San Diego still trailed by six runs after the long ball. However, it snapped an eight-game homerless stretch for the rookie and pushed him to 18 home runs and 71 RBI on the campaign. Merrill is working on a modest six-game hitting streak during which he's batting .375 (9-for-24) with five extra-base hits and seven RBI.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Drives in three runs in victory
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Monday's 5-3 win against Minnesota.
Merrill broke a 2-2 tie with a bases-clearing triple in the third inning. The rookie continues to rake, as he's batting .315 (17-for-54) with 10 extra-base hits (four homers, three doubles and three triples) along with 15 RBI through 15 games in August. Paul Skenes remains the favorite for Rookie of the Year honors in the National League, but Merrill could give him a run down the stretch, as he's now at a .290/.321/.484 slash line, 17 long balls, 69 RBI, 61 runs and 13 stolen bases over 458 plate appearances on the campaign.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Hits another clutch homer
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday in a 9-8 extra-inning victory against Miami.
One day after hitting a game-tying homer in the ninth frame, Merrill belted a big two-run shot in the eighth inning to tie the score 7-7. The rookie outfielder has been incredibly clutch for the Padres, as four of his 17 long balls have either tied the game or given San Diego the lead in the ninth inning or later. Merrill has also been very hot of late, going deep four times in his past four contests and slashing .388/.416/.776 with five home runs, 18 RBI, 18 runs and three stolen base over his past 18 games.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Slugs two homers in dramatic win
Rotowire
Merrill went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three total runs and three total RBI in Wednesday's 9-8 extra-inning victory over Pittsburgh.
Merrill put the Padres on the board with a 442-foot solo shot in the second inning. The game went back and forth from there, with the rookie outfielder adding an RBI single in the fifth, but the Pirates carried a one-run lead into the top of the ninth frame. Pittsburgh closer David Bednar attempted to hold the Padres at bay, but Merrill tied the score with a one-out solo shot to center field. For good measure, Merrill was also a participant in what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the 10th, as his flyout to left field resulted in Xander Bogaerts scoring on an error by Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal. Merrill now has a trio of four-hit performances in a fantastic rookie campaign during which he's posted a .288/.318/.467 slash line, 15 homers, 59 RBI, 54 runs and 11 stolen bases through 112 contests.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Delivers clutch home run
Rotowire
Merrill went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers.
Merrill's only hit of the night came at quite an opportune time. Blake Treinen had already given up a homer to Manny Machado to lead off the inning and he then left a hanging cutter which Merrill took full advantage of to tie the game up in the ninth. The long ball was Merrill's first since June 29 and he now has 13 hits, seven RBI and eight runs over his last nine games. Merrill is tied for the National League lead among rookies with 13 homers and leads all rookies with 105 hits. He's slashing .284/.315/.449 with 53 RBI, 48 runs, 11 steals and a 17:74 BB:K in 393 plate appearances.
