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Padres Notes: Jackson Merrill Injury Update, Trade Deadline Prediction, Manny Machado Calls Out Reporter

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
May 18, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) comes off the field after making a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
May 18, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) comes off the field after making a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the Athletics, 7-3, on Friday night with a statement win to take the first of a three-game set. The Friars improved to 30-20 on the year behind a trio of home runs and another great bullpen performance.

After the A's hung two runs in the top of the first inning, superstar Manny Machado slugged a two-run shot to even things up. When the Padres found themselves down one in the bottom of the fifth inning, it was Nick Castellanos who launched a solo home run to tie the game at three.

Ramon Laureano smacked a solo shot of his own in the seventh to take the lead, and a Gavin Sheets single put another two on the board in the eighth. A Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly added the seventh and final run of the night.

Ahead of the eventual victory, manager Craig Stammen gave an update on center fielder Jackson Merrill, who was out of the lineup due to an injury.

On the very first pitch of Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Merrill attempted to rob Shohei Ohtani's home run, but collided with the outfield wall.

"He’s just sore and bruised, and he’s day to day for when he’ll be back,” Stammen said.

In other news, a major trade deadline prediction has been made by an MLB insider, and appears to be on par with how president of baseball operations AJ Preller has been operating in the past.

With the sheer unluckiness of the starting rotation thus far, both in terms of injury and underperforming, fans can expect the pitching roster to get a much-needed boost before the Aug. 3 deadline.

Finally, superstar Manny Machado called out a reporter for questioning his hustle. The third baseman has never been known to mince words around the media nor hide his true feelings, and the same rang true this week.

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres Will Be 'Aggressive' at Trade Deadline, Says MLB Insider

Padres' Manny Machado Calls Out Reporter for Questioning His Hustle

Padres Starting Pitcher Believes Major Velocity Jump is Coming

Padres 'Racking Their Brains' Trying to Fix Fernando Tatis Jr.

Padres Hit Jackpot With $4 Million Offseason Signing Amid Breakout Year

Padres' Jake Cronenworth Still Nowhere Near Return From Concussion

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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