The San Diego Padres have had quite a few All-Stars on the injured list this season, but they are expected to get some assistance in the form of a superstar next week.
Insider Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune revealed that Jackson Merrill's return to the team is imminent. The date that fans can circle is Monday, May 5, against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, per Acee.
Merrill won't be the only All-Star nearing a return as Acee reported Jake Cronenworth is slated to potentially get back on May 9.
Currently, Merrill is at the team's spring training complex in Arizona trending toward his return from hamstring complications. The plan for Cronenworth is to join him later this week as his rib fracture is ramping up to a point where he can get back to the diamond.
The 2025 season started off with much fanfare surrounding Merrill as he inked a nine-year, $135 million deal at the beginning of April. The extremely team-friendly deal was highly scrutinized around the league, but Merrill showed the baseball world his character and the kind of person that he was in sacrificing what many insiders believed could be hundreds of millions of more dollars.
“I know there’s contracts out there that are beyond absurd. There’s super amounts of money,” Merrill said. “But having a relationship with a real human being and a real team like I have here, you can’t beat that.
"You can’t just sign for $700 million and want everything to be perfect. I’ve got people all around the clubhouse that are supporting me, supporting my family. They ask about my personal life every day. So, I’m just grateful for that. I know it’s gonna be the same way for the next nine years.”
Hopefully Merrill will get back soon and continue his strong play. He had a .378 batting average and 1.090 OPS before the IL stint.
For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.
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