The San Diego Padres dropped from first to second place in the NL West after getting swept by the Dodgers this weekend. But the bigger concern coming out of Sunday’s series finale wasn’t the loss itself – it was watching Jackson Merrill leave the game early.
Turns out Padres fans can breathe easier.
Manager Mike Shildt told reporters after the game that Merrill’s been dealing with ankle soreness, but it doesn’t look like anything serious. Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Sports Association shared the update that has the injury looking like a day-to-day situation rather than something that’ll land him on the IL.
“Shildt said Merrill has been dealing with ‘an ankle that’s been bothering him.’ Said it’s sore, but doesn’t think it will linger beyond a ‘day-to-day type of thing.'”
That’s about as good as you can hope for when you see your 22-year-old All-Star heading to the clubhouse early. Especially when you’re chasing the Dodgers in a tight division race.
Merrill had tweaked the ankle earlier in the game, and if he’s been managing it for a while now, pulling him makes sense. No point risking something worse when you’ve got a long season ahead.
Merrill’s Season So Far
The second-year outfielder hasn’t quite matched his Rookie of the Year numbers from last season, but he’s been solid through 90 games. He’s hitting .262 with a .734 OPS – not spectacular, but steady production from a guy who’s still figuring out how to handle big league pitching.
What makes this injury scare more concerning is that Merrill’s already missed time this season. A second IL stint would’ve been a real problem for San Diego, especially with them trying to make up ground on Los Angeles.
The way I see it, the Padres dodged a bullet here. Yeah, getting swept stings when you’re trying to win the division. But losing Merrill for weeks or months? That would’ve been a season-altering blow.
Now they just need to hope that ankle cooperates and doesn’t become one of those nagging issues that lingers. With their next series coming up, having Merrill back in the lineup – even if it takes a day or two – keeps their playoff hopes on track.
Sometimes the best news is what doesn’t happen.
