Padres' Jackson Merrill: Returns to action Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill (illness) started at shortstop Tuesday and went 1-for-5 in High-A Fort Wayne's 4-2 loss to Great Lakes.
Merrill returned to the lineup just under a week after exiting a game after experiencing nauseousness. Now that he's overcome the illness, Merrill will look to move past what has been a somewhat slow start to the season. Through his first 12 games in the Midwest League, Merrill is slashing .217/.245/.413.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Removed from game due to nausea
Rotowire
Merrill exited in the fourth inning Wednesday of High-A Fort Wayne's game against Peoria after feeling nauseous, Dylan Sinn of The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports.
A top prospect being pulled from a game early is nearly always newsworthy, though in this instance, Merrill doesn't look as though he'll be in line to miss significant time, if any. The 20-year-old shortstop is slashing .220/.250/.439 with two homers, five RBI and two stolen bases through his first 11 games in High-A.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Will open year in High-A
Rotowire
Merrill will open the 2023 season with High-A Fort Wayne, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
There was some chatter about Merrill making the jump to Double-A San Antonio, but that'll be put on hold for at least a little bit. The 19-year-old top shortstop prospect slashed .339/.395/.511 with six home runs, 40 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 38 runs scored over 55 games last summer between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Low-A Lake Elsinore. He was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of a high school in Maryland.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Invited to MLB camp
Rotowire
Merrill received an invitation to MLB spring training Wednesday.
Merrill is widely considered one of the top shortstop prospects in baseball, and he is coming off a 2022 campaign where he slashed .325/.387/.482 with five homers and eight stolen bases over 219 plate appearances at Low-A Lake Elsinore. As a 19-year-old who hasn't played above that Low-A level, it's very unlikely that Merrill helps out the Padres in 2023, but his ability to hit for average along with solid defense at a premium position does give him a chance to be a fast-track player.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Swinging hot bat in Single-A
Rotowire
Merrill is slashing .331/.387/.489 with five home runs, 33 RBI and eight stolen bases in 40 games with Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Merrill begin the 2022 campaign strongly before injuring his wrist. He hit .433 in 10 games with the organization's ACL club before returning to Lake Elsinore in late July. The 19-year-old struggled for a few games after his return, but he's slashing .339/.388/.545 in his past 25 contests. Merrill has ascended up San Diego's prospect rankings with his impressive numbers and the departure of many of the organization's other top prospects to Washington in the Juan Soto trade.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Back in action for Single-A club
Rotowire
Merrill (wrist) was reinstated from Single-A Lake Elsinore's 7-day injured list and went 0-for-5 with a run scored in his return to action Sunday in the affiliate's 11-9 win over Stockton.
The 19-year-old infielder had been on Lake Elsinore's 7-day IL since April 29 before he was finally cleared to rejoin the affiliate. Before being activated, Merrill played in 10 rehab games for the Padres' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate and slashed .433/.452/.700 with five extra-base hits and three stolen bases across 31 plate appearances.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Kicks off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Merrill (wrist) began a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Padres' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate and went 2-for-2 with a double and a run.
Merrill has resided on Single-A Lake Elsinore's 7-day injured list since April 29 due to a wrist issue. Because he's been out for nearly two months, the Padres may want to see him make multiple appearances in the ACL before adding him back to the Single-A roster. Prior to getting hurt, Merrill hit .393 with a home run and four stolen bases across 63 plate appearances for Lake Elsinore.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Rehabbing wrist injury
Rotowire
Merrill is rehabbing a wrist injury in Arizona, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Merrill, like teammate James Wood, is on the 7-day injured list at Single-A Lake Elsinore with a wrist injury. He was excellent in his first 13 games of full-season ball, hitting .393/.452/.518 with one home run and four steals.
