The San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday that center fielder Jackson Merrill has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the Padres promoted fellow outfielder Oscar Gonzalez from Triple-A El Paso to occupy the empty roster spot. Meanwhile, rookie Brandon Lockridge is set to take over Merrill’s center field position in their game against the Athletics.
Merrill, who is 21 years old, has been coping with this injury prior to missing Monday’s series opener. He’ll now have a chance to fully recover before rejoining San Diego’s lineup. His IL stint has been backdated to April 7, in accordance with MLB rules that allow teams to retroactively apply this transaction as long as the player hasn’t appeared during that timeframe.
Merrill had begun the season exceptionally, hitting .378/.415/.676 (203 OPS+) with three home runs and one stolen base across 10 games. Recently, he signed a nine-year, $135 million contract extension. His remarkable form last season led him to finish second in the Rookie of the Year Award voting.
The Padres currently hold the best record in Major League Baseball. For further insights, you can read about Inside the Padres’ hot start: How stellar offense and impressive pitching are driving their success.
Gonzalez, 27, joined the Padres over the offseason and has played in 145 major league games, primarily with the Cleveland Guardians. He holds a career slash line of .269/.299/.413 (101 OPS+) along with 13 home runs.
San Diego Padres
