Padres' Jackson Merrill suffers apparent back injury

San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill left Wednesday night's game against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers after four innings with an apparent back injury.

Merrill looked to sustain the injury while leaping to catch Shohei Ohtani's first-pitch homer to start the game. Merrill was seen stretching his back on multiple occasions during the next three innings.

San Diego manager Craig Stammen and a trainer visited Merrill before the top of the third before permitting him to stay in the game. Bryce Johnson was going to pinch-hit for him in the fourth before Xander Bogaerts flied out to end the inning.

Johnson replaced Merrill defensively before the top of the fifth. At the time of his departure, Los Angeles owned a 2-0 lead.

Merrill fanned in his only at-bat, dropping his average to .203.