Inside The Padres

Padres' Jackson Merrill Scratched From Sunday's Lineup vs. Nationals

Aaron Coloma|
Jul 12, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Jul 12, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres scratched center fielder Jackson Merrill due to illness ahead of their series finale against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

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Bryce Johnson will stand in for the 22-year-old and bat eighth. Gavin Sheets, Jose Iglesias and Jake Cronenworth all moved up one spot in the lineup due to the change.

Merrill had an electric start to the season before a right hamstring injury kept him out for a month. He returned well from the injury in May, however hit a slump in June and still hasn't fully recovered. He had a .322 batting average and .874 OPS through May 30, though has batted just .200 since with a .601 OPS since.

Merrill broke onto the scene in 2024, playing 156 games for the Padres after making the Opening Day roster. He had a .826 OPS with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs last season, and made his first All-Star game as a rookie. He also received the NL Silver Slugger award and was named to the All-MLB Second Team.

Johnson has made 22 appearances this year, though mostly in left field for the Padres. He is having a career year off the bench for the Friars, posting a .304 batting average and a .751 OPS in 2025. He has a double in his only at-bat this series.

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The Padres will hope their All-Star can recover by Monday, as they are trying to maintain their position in the final NL Wild Card spot. The final game of their series against the Nats begins at 10:35 a.m. PT, and they begin another series against the Miami Marlins on Monday at 3:40 p.m. PT.

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

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Aaron Coloma
AARON COLOMA

Aaron Coloma is a contributing writer for On SI based in Los Angeles. A 2024 graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, he previously covered collegiate and high school sports for The Poly Post and Valley Sports Telegram, respectively.

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