The Padres placed outfielder Jackson Merrill on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, retroactive to August 20, with no immediate roster replacement announced. Merrill, 22, has not appeared since August 17 and will be out at least through the 29th. The season has been limited to 91 games because of the current ankle issue, an early hamstring strain, and an IL stint for concussion-like symptoms in June. His rookie campaign produced a .292/.326/.500 line with 61 extra-base hits, but 2024 shows a .261/.317/.413 slash in 386 plate appearances and noticeably lower power and baserunning output. Merrill signed a nine-year extension earlier this year, and the team hopes rest will aid recovery during a tight NL West race.
It's been a frustrating sophomore season for the outfielder, as he's been limited to just 91 games between his current ankle injury, an early-season hamstring strain, and an IL stint for concussion-like symptoms back in June. Even when Merrill has been healthy enough to take the field for the Padres, he's not quite looked like himself. The youngster's rookie year saw him hit .292/.326/.500 (130 wRC+) with 61 extra-base hits (including 24 homers) and 16 steals in 19 chances.
That was enough to get him plenty of accolades: he finished second only to Paul Skenes in NL Rookie of the Year voting and nabbed an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger award, and a ninth-place finish in NL MVP voting. That banner year created plenty of optimism that Merrill would anchor the middle of San Diego's lineup for years to come, and those hopes were further bolstered when he signed a nine-year extension with the organization earlier this year.
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