Center fielder Jackson Merrill has been activated from the concussion-related IL, according to an announcement by the Padres. Outfielder Brandon Lockridge was optioned to the minors in a corresponding move.
Merrill initially went on the shelf last week after he was struck by a hard tag from Ketel Marte when trying to steal second base. It was his second trip to the injured list of the year after missing a month due a hamstring strain, but this one fortunately ended up only requiring a minimal absence. Merrill is back just one week after being shelved thanks to the nature of the concussion-related IL, which comes with a minimum stay of just seven days to encourage players and clubs to be more proactive with its usage.
When healthy, Merrill has more or less followed up his sensational rookie season with an exact replica. Across 44 games this year, he’s slashed .304/.349/.474 with a wRC+ of 131. He’s striking out a bit more than last year (22.0%) but is also walking more frequently (6.5%) to go with his five homers and ten doubles. Merrill’s return to action should provide a huge boost to a Padres team that has scuffled a bit while relying on Tyler Wade and Bryce Johnson to handle center field in his absence. While they managed to score more than 4.5 runs per game during Merrill’s time away from the club, they dropped three of four in a crucial series against the Dodgers and have lost four of their last six games overall.
That may seem like a fairly minor skid, but in a hotly contested NL playoff picture it was enough to put them half a game out of the final Wild Card spot and five games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. With trade season just around the corner, the next few weeks of play will be crucial for clubs on the bubble of playoff contention like San Diego. Adding Merrill back to the middle of the lineup alongside Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado should go a long way to bolster the offense enough to help it carry a beleaguered pitching staff, to say nothing of what Merrill’s strong glove in center field could do for the Padres’ run prevention after they allowed 30 runs in seven games last week.
Departing the roster to make room for Merrill is Lockridge. The 28-year-old made his big league debut with San Diego last season and has made it into 59 total games, though he’s slashed a lackluster .210/.248/.280 (50 wRC+) to this point in his MLB career. He’s primarily been used as a defensive replacement and pinch runner thanks to his impressive speed, and in that role he’s done quite well with a 10-for-11 record on the basepaths and +3 career Outs Above Average in the outfield. He’ll head back to Triple-A and serve as depth for the Padres’ bench moving forward.
