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

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.

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.

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