Padres' Jackson Merrill Provides Concerning Injury Update

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (3) shakes hands with third base coach Tim Leiper (33) after hitting a one run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park on Aug. 12. | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill left Sunday's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a left ankle injury. Merrill went 0-for-2 as the Padres' cleanup hitter before he was replaced by Gavin Sheets.

Merrill initially rolled the ankle two days earlier, Padres manager Mike Shildt said, when taking an awkward step out of the batter’s box.

Jackson Merrill said the ankle he rolled Friday felt progressively worse this weekend. “It’s f—ing frustrating,” Merrill said. “Hopefully, I play tomorrow if I wake up and it feels brand new, but I can't really say anything right now."

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) August 17, 2025

“It’s frustrating,” Merrill told reporters Sunday. “You play all year last year, missed only a couple games last year and get to this year. It’s just fluke things, too. It’s not stuff I can control. I work in the weight room. I do all my stretching and it’s just fluke stuff that happens. And you can get a single out of the box and the ground’s hard, you stick to it. I can’t really say that’s my fault. I wish I could, but just fluke stuff.

More news: Padres Officially Release Former Top Prospect Pitcher in Surprise Move

“It’s way more frustrating than it actually being my fault.”

Before Sunday’s game against the Dodgers, Merrill got treatment on his left ankle, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. It wasn't enough to keep him on the field for more than four innings in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers.

“For me, I want to play,” Merrill said. “I don’t really give a (expletive) if I’m hurting or not. It’s not really anything to do with it hurting. It’s going to hurt. I rolled the hell out of it. It sucks. But it just got more painful in the game. My swings really weren’t the same. … The guy I saw (Sunday) was tough. They made the call. I trust them. But just (expletive) frustrated.”

Shildt deemed the injury "day to day," which should come as a relief.

More news: Padres Pitching Coach Calls Friars All-Star a 'Generational Pitcher'

Merrill, 22, has had his ups and downs in his sophomore season in the big leagues. Since signing a nine-year, $135 million contract extension with the Padres on April 2, he's proceeded to hit .261/.317/.413, with nine home runs and 51 RBIs in 91 games.

Although his defense in center field has made up the bulk of his 2 Wins Above Replacement (via Baseball Reference), injuries have unquestionably slowed Merrill down. He missed nearly a month with a hamstring ailment earlier in the year, and has only stolen one base (after swiping 16 bags as a rookie in 2024).

An ankle injury will do the opposite of speed a man up.

“I mean, it’s sore,” Shildt said. “But we don’t think it’s something that, at the moment, is going to linger beyond a day-to-day type thing.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.