Although the plan was for the superstar to finally return against the New York Yankees on Monday, San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reported that the center fielder will play tomorrow He is believed to have arrived in New York a short while ago.Plan is for him to play tomorrow.Brandon Lockridge starts in CF tonight … if this game is played More news: Padres Pitcher Named Best Offseason Signing By Multiple MLB Execs Brandon Lockridge will get the nod in center field for the rainy contest in the big apple Game 1 in the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/lq9cH2ENLG April has been a whirlwind for fans as it began with the exciting news that Merrill would be a member of the Padres through the 2034 season as he signed a nine-year $135 million deal on the second day of the month The extremely team-friendly could only be celebrated for about six days when Merrill was then placed on the injured list for a hamstring strain What was supposed to be a quick stint resulted in keeping out the superstar much longer than fans would have hoped for and a slew of other Friars injuries during April made for an uncomfortable stretch in terms of depth The now 22-year-old Merrill will have to wait just one more day than his intended return date but given the weather at Yankee Stadium Monday More news: Padres May Have New Secret Weapon in the Rotation Nick Pivetta is on the mound for the Friars and looks to continue what has been an electric start to 2025 with his 5-1 record and 1.78 ERA on the year He will be facing off against southpaw Carlos Rodon for New York The Friars start a three-game set in New York with a five-game winning streak that was the result of sweeping their last two series Hopefully the Padres can keep up their winning ways and extend their win streak as they prepare for the imminent return of their superstar More news: Padres' $280 Million Star Opens Up on Struggles to Start This Season For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER The Friars should have their starting lineup intact by next weekend As we begin the second month of the 2025 Major League Baseball season the postseason pretenders and contenders start to take shape baseball fans do not pay attention to the division standings until Memorial Day The San Diego Padres will state their case as a playoff contender but they must first patiently wait for the return of two starters to the lineup next week The addition of Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth brings high expectations for all The good news is both Merrill and Cronenworth have begun rehab work at the Padres sports complex in Peoria The target dates for their return are May 5 for Merrill and May 9 for Cronenworth each player might be eased into the lineup as it may take some time to get their timing back in the field and at the plate The return of Merrill adds some pop to the lineup which has been missing a consistent left-handed longball threat since he found himself on the injury list he seemed like a lock to represent the Friars in this season’s Mid-Summer Classic Merrill hit .378 with 3 HRs and 10 RBIs before tweaking his right hamstring It is unknown if he can continue at this pace once Merrill returns to the lineup there is evidence that he will continue to attack the zone His stance allows him to protect the inside corner by shortening his stroke and pulling the ball over the first base bag Merrill’s balance in the box gives him enough plate protection to drive an outside pitch to the opposite field for an extra-base hit let’s not forget his value as a plus glove in center field Tyler Wade has done a terrific job in his absence but the return of Merrill is unwelcome news for gap hitters He has been chasing down those drives since his rookie debut last season The early storm of inconsistent play that has hovered over the Padres can be blown out to sea if Merrill performs to his standard of excellence The Padres offense has missed Cronenworth’s ability to pull the ball down the line with runners in scoring position Cronenworth’s average exit velocity was 89.6 MPH he was batting .257 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs in 12 games The two-time All-Star is trying to earn his third appearance as Cronenworth could be chosen solely for his exceptional fielding skills at second base He has a .938 fielding percentage with two errors in 32 chances Two months may be long enough to make a case for himself The return of Merrill and Cronenworth provides some lineup flexibility at the designated hitter’s position It gives Padres manager Mike Shildt some options as the season progresses The Friar Faithful may see more of Jose Iglesias as the right-handed DH option in the lineup Gavin Sheets has done a terrific job as the left-handed DH He is still producing at the same rate as in spring training But Iglesias deserves consideration for more at-bats after being thrust into the lineup He played well at second base in Cronenworth’s absence Iglesias is a skilled hitter who produced 10 RBI in limited at-bats He has developed into a valuable depth piece off the bench Now is the time for Iglesias to become the right-handed DH if he is not playing in the field The Friars welcome back two versatile hitters who can bat anywhere in the order Merrill and Cronenworth have the plate discipline to draw a walk you could see their name posted anywhere in the order Merrill and Cronenworth can recapture their previous form upon their return to the lineup The Padres have not looked like a complete team without them Kelly expresses frustration after ongoing issue with crampsMay 3rd PHILADELPHIA -- is out of answers and has long since run out of patience with his right hamstring which continues to cramp up on him at the most inopportune times The latest happened Friday night in Philadelphia when Kelly was warming up for the sixth inning and felt the cramping which forced him to leave the game after having thrown just 60 pitches and with the Diamondbacks leading the Phillies Because the bullpen has been used heavily recently Arizona manager Torey Lovullo had to try and patch together the last few innings of the game which led him to use lefty José Castillo to try and get through the seventh It was the first time Castillo had pitched in a big league game since July 4, 2023, and he allowed homers to both Kyle Schwarber and Max Kepler as the Phillies went on to win, 3-2 The cramping issue has come up for Kelly over the last couple of seasons and it happened in the sixth inning of his April 20 start against the Cubs Kelly and the team have tried all kinds of different things to alleviate the issue “I wish I had a good answer for you guys,” Kelly said Putting the bullpen in a bad spot Friday is what bothered Kelly the most “I’ve got to go out and do my job for the guys in this clubhouse,” Kelly said but the point of where I was at today with how many pitches I should still be out there in the seventh "I should still be out there in the eighth It's my job to do that -- go as deep as I can And I think that's the most frustrating part when it still should be in my control and it's not.” Kelly is expected to be able to make his next scheduled start in five days ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS BY ALEX WEINER Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly on Friday at the Philadelphia Phillies looked primed to match or one-up Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen who each delivered six innings and one earned run over the previous two games Kelly plowed through five innings with only 60 pitches, allowing one run with four hits and one walk. Then Kelly felt something off while warming up for the sixth and he frustratingly walked off the mound with the athletic trainer Kelly dealt with more right hamstring cramping The Diamondbacks led 2-1 at the time he left and went on to lose 3-2 as a taxed bullpen failed to hold onto the slim lead Merrill Kelly extremely frustrated by the cramp issue popping up again … “I don’t want to be a liability” and adding he has to figure it out because it’s not good for him or for the team — Jody Jackson (@Jody_Jackson) May 3, 2025 Juan Morillo threw a 1-2-3 sixth inning in immediate relief of Kelly as he has yet to allow an earned run since coming up Kyle Schwarber hit Castillo’s first major league pitch since 2023 over the wall in right field to tie the game Max Kepler pummeled a slider 422 feet for the lead Kevin Ginkel and Shelby Miller each pitched in Arizona’s last two games so it was clear early that the D-backs would have to work with a somewhat diminished bullpen Miller was only available in a save situation Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr — who delivered a season-high three hits on Friday — led off the ninth inning with a deep drive to left-center field but Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas crashed into the wall to make the catch Closer Jose Alvarado struck out Geraldo Perdomo to end the game The D-backs (17-15) out-hit the Phillies 10-6 but left seven runners on base Ketel Marte made his first start since April 4 as he came off the injured list before the game (hamstring) lacing a 107 mph single on the first pitch of the game Corbin Carroll followed with an infield single but the dynamic duo was stranded on base as Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo struck out the next three Luzardo allowed nine hits in 5.1 innings but only two runs The Diamondbacks and Phillies series resumes on Saturday at 3:05 p.m Brandon Pfaadt (2.78 ERA) starts for Arizona his first game at Citizens Bank Park since Game 7 of the 2023 NLCS Aaron Nola (5.40 ERA) will pitch for Philadelphia (18-14) Catch the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app Follow @alexjweiner overcoming a rain delay once again on Saturday as they increased their win streak to four games They improved to 21-11 thanks to Fernando Tatis Jr scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the ninth the Padres recalled a young catcher from Triple-A El Paso The corresponding move was to option a struggling veteran back down to the minors Fans have been patiently waiting to see their superstar back on the field after going most of April without him but he completed his first rehab assignment game Saturday night Here’s more information on these stories and all the latest Padres news (click the headline for the full article): Padres Recall Luis Campusano, Option Veteran to Triple-A Surprise Padres Player With Team in Pittsburgh, Indicating Imminent Roster Move Padres Outfielder Jackson Merrill's Rehab Location, Date Set Padres Superstar Fernando Tatis Provides Massive Update on Injury Padres Pitcher Wins Major Award from MLB When Will Padres vs Pirates Start Following Weather Delay on Saturday? Padres vs Pirates Game Delayed Saturday Manny Mash 💣 pic.twitter.com/OvawdQkt64 INF Yuli Gurriel cleared waivers and elected free agency Oh, Fernando. Where do we even begin? pic.twitter.com/zXha7Zs1cl We have recalled C Luis Campusano from Triple-A El Paso and optioned INF/OF Connor Joe to El Paso The Friar Fam-a-lee secured the series. pic.twitter.com/yr3zZXq06E Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly was removed early from a gem of a start on Friday at the Philadelphia Phillies due to right hamstring cramping The Phillies took advantage and scored two runs in the seventh inning to snatch a 3-2 win at Citizens Bank Park Kelly — who has had cramping issues impact starts in each of the last three seasons — felt something during a warmup pitch in the sixth inning that drew manager Torey Lovullo and athletic trainer Max Esposito to the mound The right-hander was visibly frustrated as he walked off the field after throwing only 60 pitches Lovullo told reporters postgame that Friday may have been the most frustrated he’s seen Kelly in this reoccurring situation Kelly retired 12 of 13 batters before leaving the game with a 2-1 lead The Phillies scored a run off him in the first inning Kelly picked off Cal Stevenson at first base to end the fifth Right-hander Juan Morillo entered the game in his place and threw a scoreless inning but left-hander Jose Castillo surrendered home runs to Kyle Schwarber and Max Kepler to allow the lead to slip away Kelly left a game during the sixth inning on April 20 at Wrigley Field with cramping in his right leg Most of his previous cramps have occurred at Chase Field over the past three years and he’s explained having these problems come up while pitching in Korea earlier in his career He and the training staff have tried various hydration and nutrition strategies to avoid the problem MLB Trade Rumors By | April 2 The Padres announced that they have signed star outfielder Jackson Merrill to a nine-year contract extension that runs through 2034 with a club option for 2035 Merrill was previously slated to reach free agency after 2029 so this extends the club’s window of control by at least five years The outfielder is represented by KHG Sports Management The salary breaks down as follows: $10MM signing bonus There are $30MM in plate appearance escalators that can push his salary earnings to $165MM Each time Merrill gets to 500 plate appearances in a season he adds $1MM to his future salaries for the 2030-2034 seasons The deal can max out at $204MM and includes a $30MM club option for a tenth season that can be converted to a player option The club option becomes a player option with a top five finish in MVP voting while a top ten finish is also an escalator Merrill’s breakout was a stunningly impressive part of the 2024 season It didn’t completely come out of nowhere He was one of the top prospects in baseball during his time in the minors His minor league track record consisted of just 200 games None of those were at the Triple-A level and only 46 were at Double-A He wouldn’t celebrate his 21st birthday until April 19th of 2024 The Padres tried Merrill there in the spring it would have been understandable if there were some growing pains for a guy so young and learning a premium defensive position on the fly He hit 24 home runs for the Padres last year His 4% walk rate was low but he also kept his strikeouts down to a 17% clip His .292/.326/.500 batting line translated to a 130 wRC+ indicating he was 30% better than league average Defensive Runs Saved considered him to be league average in center he was credited with 11 Outs Above Average a mark that put him in the top ten of center fielders last year The overall package was very strong. FanGraphs credited him with 5.3 wins above replacement and Baseball Reference 4.4. That would have made him a slam-dunk Rookie of the Year in many seasons, but Merrill was up against Paul Skenes and his incredible debut Merrill got seven out of 30 first-place votes and finished second to Skenes in National League ROY voting He also finished ninth in the NL Most Valuable Player vote Kim departed via free agency after 2024 and the Padres could have considered moving Merrill back to shortstop this year, though president of baseball operations A.J. Preller quickly shot that down in October The move to center field had gone so smoothly that they didn’t want to mess with it The 2025 season could hardly have started better Merrill has a line of .400/.435/.600 through six games as the Padres are undefeated The Padres clearly love Merrill. That’s why they nabbed him with a first-round pick and promoted him so quickly. They also reportedly discussed an extension with him prior to his debut showing tremendous faith in him before he had even proved himself in the majors they probably wished they had got something done ahead of time as he only increased his earning potential last year extension prices go up as guys get further into their arbitration years and closer to free agency We can only guess what number it would have taken to get a deal done a year ago The Padres have had plenty of financial pressures in recent years but Merrill’s price would likely only go up over time Tatis got $340MM but on a 14-year deal that essentially bought out his entire career Witt got a guarantee of $288.8MM on an 11-year pact but he seems likely to opt out after seven years with with $148.8MM banked Rodríguez got a $210MM guarantee over 12 years but with a complicated club/player option structure that could see him depart after seven seasons Merrill’s guarantee comes in a bit below that tier of players but on a shorter deal The final guaranteed year of this pact will be his age-31 season meaning he will still have a chance to secure another notable guarantee in the future via free agency The option could keep him in San Diego another year but he also has a decent shot at converting it to a player option he already finished ninth in MVP voting in his rookie season so getting into the top five isn’t far-fetched He has a decent shot of pushing up his salary earnings via those escalators He also gets to bank huge money ahead of schedule as he previously wasn’t slated to qualify for arbitration until after 2026 Though the budget has clearly been tight recently the Friars evidently felt that they had enough wiggle room in the future to make this work Perhaps more such maneuverings are in the club’s future as they seem content to run an imbalanced payroll with heavily-paid stars while they look for upside plays elsewhere that means they can look forward to watching the Merrill/Tatis/Machado/Bogaerts core for close to another decade while the supporting characters might rotate he was able to put nine figures in the bank while still having a chance to hit the open market in his early 30s Photos courtesy of Orlando Ramirez and Denis Poroy Newsstand San Diego Padres Transactions I bet Merrill will be enjoying the San Diego Sunshine for years to come nice move by your Padres for a very good player he can just concentrate on his game without worrying about contract stuff Life-changing money and the Padres get a stud Both Merrill and Tatis are locked up until 2034 Coming from two parents that are school teachers I imagine helped in Merrill’s mindset in the pros of signing this kind of deal rather than taking a big unnecessary risk and waiting to be a free agent in 5 years He clearly has a great head on his shoulders Xander bogaerts is locked up till 2034 as well he’ll be 30 or 31 (depending on the player option) at which point he can sign for another $500 million It’s a great contract for the Padres Yeah coming from two parents that are school teachers made him great I’m usually against these very early signings but he looks like he really can be a superstar But he’d better get that walk rate up I’d say the success rate on them is typically higher than later ones Merrill is the gift that just keeps giving for San Diego If he already superstar he’ll be assigned to lane 5 swimming against Leon Spink if Merrill ran the “Soto plan” he’d have been earning at a lower rate (not major league minimum due to performance and arbitration years and this contract (apparently) moves his annual earnings up to $15M during what would normally be Padres control years anyhow it’s basically an extension of 5 years of control for the Pads Up front money in the hands of a good investment consultant at age 22 against the (basically insane) $300M+ contacts that have been floating around this kid MEANS what he says about being a Padre for life 9 years means he knows where he’ll be living and working for his early adult years (how many of us could predict that?) the Padres and Merrill could decide to extend his 9 year contract further in about 5 years to keep him thru 2039 (even though Manny had an opt out One thing I do like a lot in both Tatis and Merrill’s contracts That tells you how much they are committed to the team It’s my personal subjective view of course but I’ve been in baseball all my life and seen a lot of emerging greats Who says fairy tales don’t come to life talented young ballplayer and compared with his teammates very likable Is cheap enough to offset the bogaerts contract that runs till 34 as well Great decision by the Padres to wait until he proved himself in the majors I wish the Red Sox had done the same with Rafaela … Guys with the physical tools often eventually become solid major league hitters over time you don’t need to reach a conclusion already hayzee – Where did I indicate I came to a conclusion I merely stated I wish they had waited until he proved to be a good MLB player just like the Braves did with Acuna and Strider There are some players who you just know are talented enough even early on that they’ll be good in the majors or in the case of someone like Crochet – who went from college straight to the majors – don’t need a lot of minor league innings to show that they’ll be good major league players You explained yourself so poorly that others had to assume the intent of your words labia – I wish I hadn’t wasted my time reading your inane attempt at a cheapshot Now go ahead and claim the above sentence was a “poor explanation” of God knows what But don’t insult everyone else by claiming that also they couldn’t understand the difference between a justified opinion and an “explanation” all position player 1st round draft picks have the physical tools and over the last 50 years about 1 in 5 became a “solid” major league hitter As a Red Sox fan I think Rafaela will eventually get there if he learns to take a walk He still provides the team with good value with his defense but that only goes so far Rafaela will be just fine and will be able to play multiple positions going forward if you want an OF of Anthony 8 years and $50 million isn’t a bad contract when the league average contract is over $5 million this season mike – I totally agree Rafaela is still young enough to eventually put it together I don’t want ANY of them demoted/traded/kept in the minors to make room for Rafaela if he continues to perform poorly Quite honestly I think if the Red Sox could un-do the Rafaela extension right now And most of Red Sox Nation seems to feel the same way And the professionals see a lot more than Johnny at Burger King hayzee – Professionals often have their judgement clouded for various reasons The 300 people analytics department with the Red Sox are not always valuing what they should be You can definitely pick up on things that the “professionals” can’t if you have strong observational skills most of the Red Sox hired help are average Joes who never even played the game Many got their job because of social connections It’s like that in the real world too you have lots of job opportunities because of it Geez I remember when Eric Gagne was the first to notice Kimbrel was tipping his pitches … and Eric noticed while watching him pitch on TV! I used vectors to figure out why Dwight Gooden’s curve ball was so easy to read I’ve attended the Sport Analytics Conference at MIT and I played baseball against college players into my forties I went to college with one of the best scouts in recent history the architect of the Giants 3 championship teams I have a nephew who was a professional and written about in The Athletic I grew up around the corner from the Stottlemyre kids But I respect the judgment of those WHO DO IT for a living over the casual fan Isn’t the biggest fault of being a fan is falling in love with your minor league plyers And often its that guy you don’t hear about that suddenly becomes a star… hopefully not for another team hayzee – I don’t see anyone here who claims to know everything about everything … except one person but I muted them months ago ;O) For those few instances where it’s justified to call out “the professionals” Many current baseball people DO visit this site and they value some of the perspectives they read here you know how Baseball Ops is constantly evolving constantly changing with “newer and better ideas” Every time there is a “newer and better” idea implemented that means it’s been determined by the “current professionals” that the “prior professionals” were wrong Some information availability is evolving as are methods for evaluating that new or enhanced information I once worked with the largest private data base in the country I worked with one of the early hurricane simulation models that starting sprouting after Hurricane Andrew A lot more sophistication since those times Methods evolve because information evolves hayzee – It’s the use of information that separates the wheat from the chaff The “prior professionals” had access to much of the same information Tunnel vision has become a big problem these days All too often it’s change for the sake of change We also have to remember that Durran isn’t young and with his wheels being one of his awesome attributes we have Bleis and the Password on the way but I like Rafaela’s versatility at $6 million a season He doesn’t have to be an everyday player to earn that salary A great problem to have is a lot of good youth We had another guy that everyone loved that had a similar game in JBJ I don’t think they get a ring in 2018 without him If Rafaela gives us 7 more years of exactly the same overall performance his contract will be a steal for the Red Sox if it comes down to eventually DFA’ing Rafaela or keeping him as a bench player I’d prefer to keep him as a bench player But that’s assuming he can keep his OPS above .600 A trade would be best case scenario if he continues to perform poorly So what sort of information explains Error in Judgement Is that because some stat nerd is missing some data Baseball – That’s kind of an insult to JBJ by comparing Rafaela to him It wasn’t until Age 31 when his bat disappeared for good Again he’s still young and can certainly turn things around don’t be surprised if he gets sent down at some point this season hayzee – Not sure which player you mean but I’ll stay on the subject of Rafaela As a trained behavioral specialist I can see the lack of focus and lack of baseball instincts during games Getting picked off 3B because he didn’t pay attention to where he was standing and talking is just one example Getting his face bloodied because he didn’t realize three heavy loose gold chains could swing up and hurt him is another example I don’t have time to list all the examples but there is justification for Red Sox Nation’s concern about his future performance maturity could definitely turn him into an all-star caliber player I guess you wouldn’t have respected Bill James when he first started then that’s an insult to Rafaela who had a 2.7 WAR and an 82 OPS+ in his first 2 seasons through age 23 while JBJ had a 0.6 WAR and a 52 OPS+ in his first 2 seasons through age 24 don’t be surprised when he is an All Star and has a 5 WAR at the end of the year 2.7 WAR and an average-to-elite defender at five positions as a 23 year old last year I think worst case we think “meh” looking back at the Rafaela deal dirty – WAR always gets inflated just by “playing” certain positions which is why it’s a highly flawed projection Career 78 OPS+ sucks and even if Rafaela was an elite CF’er we could have pulled JBJ out of retirement for a lot less money Ask Cleveland how they felt about the Straw contract Also Rafaela’s salary right now is 1.25MM The first time it’s over 10MM is in 2030 That’s 5 years to figure out his bat before the deal looks bad He’s always had issues with his swing decisions so let’s see how he does this year after his first full year I’m not concerned at all about his deal Would have been better if they did it before he proved himself The Padres tried to sign him to an extension before he played his first game in the majors Merrill said no and that he knew what his value was He also said he was not looking to rip the Padres off Why the heck did he agree to such a low amount Only $15 million per year guaranteed and locked down until he’s 30 He may have cost himself a couple hundred million at least if he thinks he’ll really be that good He may also break his leg tomorrow and never be the same It’s called a compromise and it’s good for both parties that’s like saying Garret Crochet arm could fall off any moment He will probably have to eat a lot of ramen noodles to get by Someone offering him $15M per year guaranteed he could have a season ending injury or be in a situation like Acuna constantly injured and still got paid well He likely did “cost” himself a lot of money but he also just guaranteed himself a lot of money It cements his future there and if he keeps producing he will make more money on top of it Jasonb: And there’s always the chance that the Padres could add extra money to that deal Teams don’t just pay extra for no reason at all Lonniemac: It isn’t for no reason at all when Merrill has become a super-super-star the Pads might make him a fair offer to extend 5 more years Jackson has no guarantee that he’ll be healthy over the next five years (to 2034) and could have a bad “walk year” for whatever reason If the Padres treat his contract mid-way through as they did Machado’s it’ll be a win-win for both team and player at my age I may not be around to honor that bet He agreed to that average because of how little he was set to earn first in pre-arb and then arbitration He’s many years away from seeing market money; this sacrifices a good chunk of the max pay he would have gotten to guarantee that he gets paid He now has the baseline pay to spend in the short term if he wants to live larger and/or too invest more heavily to grow his early earnings that much more There’s a method to the seeming madness He banks the money he makes over his Padre control years at $15M per he wouldn’t be at the MLB minimum for the next 4-5 years (whatever his dates are) I think Soto made $30M (+/-) in his last arbitration year It really IS “the hometown discount” we should forget the big start huge numbers and view this from a 22 year old unmarried kid’s perspective and project to be home half the time as he raises his own kids 3) He’s playing for an organization he feels at home at 4) He feels it’s a fair contract for the Pads and Pad fans and doesn’t worry about what people thing about “his money” 5) He probably retires after a career on the same team A “too cheap” contract makes him an easy trade target to use for “restocking the team” trading a low-$$ contract for 4 or 6 or 8 top prospects Foot – Here is the correct answer to your question: Because it includes the buyout of either 1 or 2 pre-arb years (depending on when the extension begins) and 3 arb years How much do you think he would have made those 4-5 years without the extension?? If Merrill continues to play at the 2024 level in 2025 he will most certainly be a super two in arbitration That would mean they are buying out 1 year of pre-arb in 2026 and 4 years of arbitration He would have earned something around $46.7 million before becoming a FA in 2031 if he maintained his 2024 level of performance Based on those pre-arb and arb projections Merrill is essentially guaranteed $88-89 million for 4 FA seasons and can increase that by $30 million(??) with PA escalators $22 million AAV in those FA years that can become as much as $29.5-30 million AAV if he hits all the escalators Not seeing where he is being underpaid by much on this deal Merrill wouldn’t have been a Super Two he would have been a free agent outright after the 2029 season they didn’t manipulate his service time You don’t have a very firm grasp on reality I’m in sync with your financial analysis if Merrill performs anything like his potential the Padres “bought” four extra years of control and Merrill bought a lifetime of guaranteed income I’m not one of those “relative values” folks (i.e moral values are an absolute “right” vs “wrong”) future lifestyle (as in fixing it ahead of time) It’s an insurance based contract for both parties so we Pads fans should just shut-the-(stuff)-up about it those arb figures use the algorithm this site uses to project arb figures every year What they can’t take into account is salary inflation that far out I don’t think it would be Soto money even with inflation unless he starts putting up 5 and 6 WAR seasons Last season Merrill was at 4.4 WAR and those projections are based on him repeating that level of performance If he starts putting up Soto kind of performance the Padres got a bargain Wife just told me to put down my phone and watch the game If you had a firm grasp on reality you’d know that unless he gets sent down at some point in the next 4 and a half years Merrill will make it to 6 years of service time on the last day of the 2029 season which means that is when he would have been a free agent had he not signed an extension and would have been first time arb eligible after the 2026 season were it not for the extension But because he did sign an extension the discussion is purely academic and we watch most games tape-delayed on the PC I have an app that allows me to bleep past commercials (or other delays) so I can get her games down to just over an hour tell your wife that blogging is a better use of your time than watching commercial reruns It my multiverse timeline he played entire season at mlb receiving a full year of service time and would be looking at free agency after 2029 season Should have just done 6 year extension buying out 2 free agent years Or got a player opt out that Padres freaking love to give out 135 mil guaranteed verses a couple more years at 1 mil and then a few arb years maybe 25-30 total if he stays elite Way too many things can go wrong in life and at 21 he just signed a guaranteed contract for generational changing money verses a chance of living with regret if he gets serious injury or declines (think flash in a pan guys) most likely some of this money comes now on a bonus and increases the “early years” so he get to start living a 15 mil a year lifestyle now verses waiting 5 years The more up front it is it works the opposite of deferrals where it’s actually worth more to him today than it looks on paper “Way too msny things can go wrong in life at 21” – – – Josh Hamilton has entered the group chat He left some money on the table but gained financial security I believe this basically buys out 4 free agent years But 2 years of this time period would’ve been played otherwise at a much lower salary Because if he doesn’t max out then he probably played pretty poorly The Boras deals don’t work out that often He gets his clients thinking they are worth more than they are Plenty of great players take deals that they feel good about and stay with the same team You don’t hear as much about these kind of contracts These deals almost always work out in favor of the teams With so many young guys doing these deals for the players who do hit free agency the price will climb Gunnar Henderson could get 500-600 million easy if he hits free agency He’s filthy rich now instead of having to wait 5 more yrs And he’ll still get a very good contract at 30 making 300 million or 200 million in your career won’t be that big of a deal unless he planned on single handedly eradicating homelessness and then going after our national debt @Foot To add to all of the replies about risk/reward there is also something called ‘the time value of money’ A dollar today is inherently worth more than a dollar tomorrow you’re right – he may have left some money on the table but that’s okay Also because he’s not a greedy player it’s not hard to believe that he would take money that would still change his life without being a financial burden like other players That’s a different way of saying it’ll be a Dodgers/Yankees world series no chance the Yankees make the Series this year Great AAV for a plus-player going through his 20s This is braves extending Acuna level of good I’m absolutely gobsmacked after the Bogaerts deal and Manny/Tatis extensions I was expecting at least $200M to get him locked up long-term and the lofty prices other young stars-in-the-making have signed for this amount of money spread over 9-10 years is unlikely to be the kind of albatross to sink a payroll if he is a 2.0 WAR player it’s a break even in 2025 dollars Imagine that will be a bargain for a 2.0 WAR player 8-10 years from now He is young and fun and he loves San Diego This is only a bad deal for Merrill if he turns into Aaron Judge It’s only a bad deal for the Padres if he’s injured and plays half the games That’s about as good as you’re going to get and truly be in both parties best interest it can morph in to 200 million and he’ll only be 30 when he hits FA again Considering that by then he’ll either still be elite or he was really intelligent to take this deal because he’s not I think a lot of this to is his desire to stay with this time and hope win a championship he would end up with a contract more like Tatis which would make it very difficult to work around in the future The team has a ton of financial flexibility And in his Age 31 season he can either resign and get his bag or not This just shows his character and that it’s not about getting that massive deal it’s about playing baseball and winning Wow this is great and only a day and a half after his bobblehead night Braves fan here (presently looking for a paper grocery bag to put over my head); this looks like a great deal for both sides I agree with the guys saying nice move by the Padres for a terrific player it’s fair to wonder sometimes if giving too much money to a.player too soon can limit their motivation That’s where knowing the person is important Well if that’s the case then this is a great deal and he’s not greedy trying to make even more money but limiting the teams financial flexibility I feel the same way about universal health care If we’re not hanging early death and medical bankruptcy over their heads how will we ever get people to work their hardest As long as he isn’t a fat lazy dude who thinks he is good 3b but isn’t he should be right They get even more $ by being good and winning And probably wants another contract after this It definitely looks a lot better than the Machado extension Pretty amazing to have the season he had and learn one of the harder positions Especially being ALMOST straight outta high school If you’ve watched baseball long enough and pay attention to the counting stats You can tell reading those numbers he put up that they’re undeveloped numbers and pump those rookie numbers up (in Mathew McConaughey’s voice) We’ve seen it countless times over the years 5 extra years of control for only 90-95 million or so is a great deal for SD Nutting and Pirates need to do the same with Skenes but everyone knows that is not happening Skenes may or may not be the exception here but I can only think of long term pitching extensions going awry Strasburg comes immediately to mind but for some reason I don’t recall teams and young starters engaging in many 10yr extensions Hunter Greene recent 6 year extension comes to mind Skenes and Nutting should both be willing to do 6 year 120 million doubt he wants to extend his tour any longer than he has to… I think the conversation shouldn’t be around a Skenes extension What a great way to start off the day as a padres fan…Jackson Merrill is going to be one of the best in MLB for a long time There was a game against the Dodgers last year when he was facing Vesia,a lefty,in the ninth inning He got down early in the count but battled and fouled off some pitches He ended up roping a liner to left center and put the Pads ahead All Signs point to this being the comment of the day All offseason i was thinking padres need to extend this kid he’s gonna be a superstar Details seem complicated but somewhere betw 135-204 He already is if 10 MVP votes is a good indication If only the Orioles had some young stars worthy of extensions Unfortunately for O’s Gunnar is repped by boras so he’ll never extend he could have probably just gone through the next five years and been in line for something above $400 million in free agency Nice to see both sides decide they want this relationship to continue I certainly did not expect an extension to come this season with how tight the money has been Not everyone has the risk-tolerance of a Juan Soto or a Vladdy Soto got crap from people he cared about for turning down the Nats’ extension That kind of personal stuff is hard to swallow He can still secure a $400M future extension at the current rate of salary inflation Just saying Merrill could have pulled a Soto if had wanted to Good to see the new ownership invest in a franchise guy The Padres’ window is still gonna be a bit awkward in 5 or so years with the back halves of Machado and Bogaerts but Tatis + Merrill can do a lot of heavy lifting Tatis is a 4 win player since his suspension and in 5 years he’ll be three years into the post-peak phase of his career If he’s more than a decent regular at that point it’ll be a pleasant surprise but if you think Tatis is a 4-win player now or that he would become a decent regular at 31 He’s destroying baseball and back to being a terror on the basepaths in 7 games so far this year He’s easily MVP-caliber if he stays healthy for the next few seasons I actually kind of like the next 5-10 years of the Padres future contention windows We have essentially 3 age-tiers of stars locked up through the early 2030s: 1 Tier 3 will be hitting prime production as tier 1 production falls off the cliff Tier 2 will bridge them together–learn from the vets now and be the vets that teach young guys later we may get a year or two in the late 2020s where all 6 of these guys put up a 4+ WAR season at the same time I think it’s a lot to put on Salas/De Vries I think Machado’s game will age well the Bogaerts still being above average in 4 years thing and the kids both becoming stars in their early 20s thing are both relative stretches of which I’m a little skeptical I just traded Machado for him in Dynasty (26 Man keepers) this offseason How’s Bobby Bo working for you at the corners you keep a 26 Man roster over the Offseason Merrill staying on my team for a longgggg timeeeee I traded Acuna for Merrill in one of my keeper leagues last season Acuras are notoriously bad at trade in value Sure they saw your mileage may vary but I was only able to fetch a utility IF one of the Castros $500 gift cards and coupons for dry cleaning I drafted both Tatis and Merrill somehow lol AJ Preller in your fantasy league Gwynning Having 10s of millions of dollars to spend in San Diego is a pretty great outcome for Merrill meaning he had not played college ball.” Writing that is sharp as a bowling ball Not to mention all the empty seats at Petco through the first 7 games obviously a smart risk by the padres if he has the health tool this will be a steal Buying the prime years of the player without having to pay for any of the Pujols years is a win I’m typically very critical of the Padres front office but given the circumstances the last 2 years and the teams they have put together a pat on the back is more in order I’m sure that Merrill is happy to get “life-changing money” but it’s very possible that he really screwed himself in terms of his earnings ceiling will get something in the range of a half-billion-dollar contract next winter especially with the many years before Merrill would have hit free agency but he’s clearly a stud who could very well win an MVP this decade I would have bet on myself or at least waited until this off-season but maybe the coming labor strife and uncertainty about what the next CBA might look like played a part… Fair comp lol Tucker has way more power and actually takes pitches Merrill was an all-star at 21 when Tucker was scuffling against ML pitching in a part-time role If Merrill went to FA on his current trajectory he would absolutely blow Tucker’s upcoming deal out of the water but Merrill has 11 more HRs and more BBs than Tucker did with same #ABs in his career So saying Tucker has “way more power” is a bit outrageous Merrill also excels at a far more difficult defensive position That would mean the Padres are buying out 1 year of pre-arb in 2026 and 4 years of arbitration plus 4 years of FA That is a $22 million AAV in those FA years that can become as much as $29.5-30 million AAV if he hits all the escalators He wouldn’t have been arb eligible in 2030 unless they sent him down at some point between now and then (which would be a pretty easy grievance for the MLBPA) If it’s all about the money then sure But by 2026 opening day Kyle Tucker will be on his third team in three years he got paid sure and clearly that was the most important thing to him But in the meantime you get ping ponged around because no one wants to lose you for nothing There are like 3 guys who have gotten contracts “something in the range of a half a billion dollars” in the history of MLB Acting like Merrill is a lock for that kind of money is ridiculous Post as much you want but he was on pace to be free agent after 2029 and those arb numbers are light I appreciate more and more teams like SD and ATL and KC who have young stars to whom they make a solid commitment with long extensions buying out arbitration and free agent years This is something Toronto refused to do and now they are paying the price for it If you want the rest of the baseball world to believe you have a young star but this is a case where I would rather see a team try and fail than to not do anything Friars… and congratulations on getting out of the Profar problem as he had been rumored to be a Braves trade target for many years and just wasn’t very good And hopefully prospects like Salas and De Vries play their way into that 10 year core group There is a huge difference in free agency between a 26-27 year old and a 30 year old He probably cost himself hundreds of millions of millions of dollars Everyone says it’s life changing money but so isn’t a superstar getting paid in arbitration Soto made 31 million in his last year of arbitration But Merrill’s clearly more of a company man They’ve got completely different values You can be a company man and still get what’s coming to you Even if he waited and wanted to stay in San Diego he would have gotten tons more money down the road so I can’t say what his motivation/”magic number” was I am a bit surprised there’s no NTC for the AAV Don’t have to use your player option So nothing to do with loving the team and wanting to be there He’s definitely leaving money on the table you will see that he 100% wanted to be with the team Smart move by him to lock in that guaranteed generation wealth A guarantee of that kind of generational wealth should be taken as soon as it’s available Just don’t give away that many free agent years Padres love extending guys that are years away from arb He will be rich for life and his family too but had he gone to arbitration in future years and then free agency in 2029 he would’ve made at least $75 million more over the 10 years so this extends the club’s window of control over Merrill by at least five years Maybe not the same money but at least 8-9 years so maybe something like what the Red Sox signed Rafaela to Doesn’t necessarily have to be this year or next Have the Cubs ever locked up a player long term in his second year When has this ever happened before in MLB history I know you’re just funposting (he hit league-average in AA at 20) but this is the difference between scouting and scouting the stat line Is that like watching the Rockettes at Radio City and carefully counting the total number of tassels on boots League average at AA is terrible for a top prospect A .760 OPS in A ball is worse than terrible Yeah he’s gonna absolutely suck at AAA at that rate Hope he doesn’t turn out like Gordon Beckham A high-school senior moving from complex to AA in a year’s time while posting above-average offense at SS is impressive for most offensive profiles young high-contact/low-K hitter who will have room to grow into his frame and add power as he ages Merrill’s calling card has always been an advanced hit tool and the Padres were correct in hindsight to challenge him with MLB assignment last year High A at 20 is the standard trajectory now Lol he finished his age-20 season at AA hitting league-average 5 years later you’re being swapped for Yency Almonte things can be worse than being partnered up with the Georgia Bulldog tri-delt homecoming queen and have a running gig as a color analyst on Sox road games where you get to hone your homespun awkward sense of humor League average isn’t good for a top prospect Kinda the way I bombed out in 9th grade but was a junior Astro physicist at MIT At this rate he’ll succeed throughout MLB but struggle in the super league at Jupiter in 2038 Haven’t seen you around these parts in a while Setting the over/under until he holds out to renegotiate at 4.5 years Howd that holdout work for Gary “If I ain’t startin I ain’t departin” Templeton San Luis Rey Downs (before they closed) asked me if I’d pair up with somebody and I said no probs If he holds out then they slap franchise tag on him Garry Templeton is indeed a very quiet individual by nature Jackson Merrill could be a Top 3 MLB shortstop and I have always favored “slapping” on a franchise tag or tariff instead of using a tamer word such as “applying” because that s stings He’s set up nicely for an extension at age 31 They have increased payroll by the 2nd highest amount this offseason and have a payroll over $260 million right now They dipped under the CBT for a single season in 2024 after 3 years over it to reset the penalties and immediately went right back over it in 2025 with the 5th largest payroll in baseball that is just under the 3rd CBT threshold at $269 million At what point are you going to realize that they have never had a payroll crunch How much of that payroll increase was to players not on the team in 2024 If you have an actual budget crunch you trade away players to cut payroll of the $41.3 million increase in CBT salaries $28.2 million are for players that were not on the roster at the end of 2024 Of the $55.2 million increase in actual salaries $38.7 million are for players that were not on the opening day roster in 2024 At what point are you going to realise this website is not about you and your emotional insecurities Because they’re 4 from the bottom in media market size baseball writers and pundits (and I include MLBTR writers as they get their info from those sources) will insist that the Padres can’t possibly maintain a top 10 payroll And many keep insisting they are on the verge of a fire sale every year Most are not aware they are top 3 in attendance in MLB With the alternative theory being that a select group of Padre fans are just vocal hypersensitive little b&tches with no fortitude that seems like its just $5 million in escalators the way you explained it Great Move for the Padres and for Jackson Merrill I joined with over 37,700 Padres fans to watch team sparkplug Merrill pick up where he left off last year and and the Padres win hitting a home run to right center field Merrill also helps the Padres team stay playoffs competitive long term Padres beat AL playoff team Guardians 7-0 to run their opening season record to 6-0 the best start of a Padres season in team history the Padres should try to extend RHSP Michael King Here’s a whacky take….Some day these guys are going to ask for a lump sum portion payable in gold each yr to account for USD devaluation Let’s say conservatively Merrill gets $165M of this deal @ 10% paid in gold thats 5,322 oz of gold @ $3100 current spot The team would need to hedge their risk each year If Acuna had negotiated for 10% of salary in gold paid 4/1 of each yr he’d have received… In 6 yrs thats 3,252.19 oz of gold…Acuna’s 10% of earnings directed to gold in this example was $7.14M USD….at the current spot price of gold that 3,252 oz = $10.15M USD…a 42% return on the $7.14M If there are teams that think gold is just a pet rock (like most US investors) this is how players could protect purchasing power and truly solve NPV/time value of money without accepting deferred money You can also use gold and silver to protect your own purchasing power There are many ways to hedge your purchasing power that doesn’t involve hoarding a precious metal that’s notoriously illiquid I’m sure these guys have more than enough money to get help diversifying their net worth especially if it’s a once a yr settlement but the contracts could still be structured as quarterly settlements to spread the risk and reduce any potential liquidity crunch USD is arguably too liquid which is why the value of a dollar is diminishing so rapidly 2024 miner production + recycled gold was roughly 5,000 metric tons Central banks purchased over 1000 tons of gold in 2024 Why would central banks buy gold if it was an illiquid asset Why would Basel III list gold and USD as the only tier 1 reserve assets if it was illiquid The price appreciation of gold has nothing to do with supply/liquidity constraints and has to do with the destruction of currency valuation payment can be received (or converted) into whatever form preferred by the parties That information doesn’t need to be made public negotiated his 2024 extension in USD impact his AAV in future years if his contract specifies “gold” the value of gold 5-10 years in the future is speculative while the value of USD the day of the contract I expect contracts to continue to be negotiated and agreed to in USD terms for the indefinite future won’t work in MLB’s salary monitoring universe but my thought isn’t a peg to gold nor is it about extracting more money out of the team The 42% return on the Acuna example isn’t meant as a comment about the player getting more money it speaks to the fact that the USD depreciated by 42% against gold in that 6 yr period and the player would be protected against that devaluation meaning it is the fundamental item of value not the USD itself Gold AND USD value in 5-10 yrs is speculative or any random year no one saw 30% of all USD M2 being created from Feb 2020 to April 2022 That 26 month period of time negatively impacted the value of a dollar based on its scarcity changing Price theory doesn’t just apply to product supply/demand notice how the the 42% return on his 10% hypothetical gold directly coincides with the timing of USD money supply increasing drastically By the club settling 10% of earnings in gold it would shift some of the monetary risk to the club just like deferred money already does I can convert my earned USD currency to gold at any time By saying 10% of earnings and not a peg to a specific amount of oz’s it provides the same certainty to the club as the full cash salary as they still know the future salary figures and can hedge the 10% dollar amount in gold futures I realize I’m sharing a very nuanced thought that likely never see’s the light of day but it’s interesting to speculate since deferrals and NPV are suddenly the hot button topic of MLB contracts If the time value of money is truly the concern then gold could protect both sides without having to add 0’s to contracts due to deferrals MLB rookie cards have the highest ROI of any investment I have seen that is legal Take a small portion of their salary in 100-lots of all the rookie cards for that season We need to extend Preller,Great move from a Real leader Thankful to have 2 outfielders for the long term (Tat and Jax) This seems like a great team friendly investment for Padres Best contract they have given out since contracts started costing real $ get into knife fights² or sleep with false accusers³ Merrill was already under team control through 2030 1 more pre-arb season in 2026 and 4 arbitration eligible seasons from 2026-2030 He will be under team control for an extra 4 seasons plus an option year He received a full year of service in 2024 They would have to send him down at some point between now and the end of the 2028 season for him to be controlled for 2029 (can’t send him down in 2029 because in that case he has 5 years of service time and can refuse an optional assignment in favor of free agency) now who else on this thread has claimed that Merrill was under team control through 2030 before the Padres extended him like maybe Merrill gave up one too many FA years There are far worse things in life than living in SD with $135 large sitting in your pocket Log in Register MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Register All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill landed on the injured list Tuesday, a week after finalizing a $135 million, nine-year deal with the San Diego Padres He's out with a right hamstring strain in a huge blow for the NL West leaders He is batting .378 (14 for 37) with three homers and 10 RBIs he had helped the Padres to the first 6-0 start in their 57-season history Merrill made it clear after his rookie season that he wanted to stay with the Padres long term and the team announced last Wednesday that it had signed him to a nine-year deal with an option for a 10th season The Padres recalled outfielder Oscar Gonzalez from Triple-A El Paso This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page SAN ANTONIO – While on a rehabilitation assignment for a hamstring injury San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill is back in San Antonio The 2024 MLB All-Star played his first game of the season with the San Antonio Missions on Saturday helping the Missions snap a three-game losing streak to the Corpus Christi Hooks Merrill’s efforts contributed to a comeback win over the Hooks KSAT asked Merrill before Sunday’s game whether being back in San Antonio had helped center his focus and deepen his appreciation for the game of baseball “I’m so wired differently that if you say the word baseball or I see a baseball or I hear a crack of bat or anything I just want to see it happening because I just love this game and I want more of it for the rest of my life.” Merrill continued to express his deep commitment to the sport and the joy of returning to San Antonio so coming back here and just seeing how the energy is so up and everybody’s having a great time that makes me happy to see that it’s not just us at the big league level it’s everywhere in our organization,” Merrill said The first game of the series is at 6:05 p.m Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group 2025) — San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill will join the San Antonio Missions on a rehab assignment on Saturday Saturday’s first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. Merrill played 46 games with the Missions in 2023 He made the jump straight from San Antonio to San Diego in 2024 where he became an MLB-All Star and Silver Slugger Award winner Merrill also finished in second place for National League Rookie of the Year voting hitting .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs in San Diego Merrill hit .273 with five home runs and 31 RBIs native is still just 22-years old and is already one of baseball’s premier players Tickets are available online at samissions.com The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The Missions were established in 1888 and have brought affordable family fun to the Alamo City for 123 seasons. The 13-time Texas League champions play their home games at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. For more information and tickets, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250505008243/en/ chief investment officer and partner at Crewe Advisors View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250505008243/en/ We’d like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business How we use your information depends on the product and service that you use and your relationship with us To learn more about how we handle and protect your data, visit our privacy center Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process We are proud to sponsor the Huntsville Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 and leadership that continue to shape the future of our community This year’s honorees remind us that success in business is about more than ambition — it’s about purpose Whether these young professionals are leading in innovation they are helping define the values of Huntsville’s next chapter At Merrill we believe in long term vision and investing in people Supporting the Top 40 under 40 isn’t just about recognition — it’s a commitment to the momentum and leadership that strengthen our city year after year Congratulations to this year’s honorees We look forward to seeing what you build next Merrill Advisors – Huntsville, AL Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored managed and distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”) Member SIPC and wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp Subscriber Login My Account Become a Subscriber Sign Up For Newsletter Written by RotoWire Staff Merrill (hamstring) has joined the Padres in New York for their series against the Yankees and is likely to be activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The expectation had been that Merrill would be activated Monday. While he's met up with the Padres after traveling to New York following his rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio over the weekend, rainy conditions are expected in The Bronx on Monday night, so the team will wait an extra day to reinsert him into the lineup. Merrill has been shelved since early April with a right hamstring strain. Sign up Sign in Photo of Fernando Tatis Jr. reacting to taking the lead in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 3Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn is the greatest player in Padres’ history. But the most exciting at times is Fernando Tatis Jr. One of those times was the ninth inning in Pittsburgh Saturday. Tatis opened the inning with a line drive to left that he turned into a double. Then he made history with a steal of third. Then he scored on a wild pitch that bounced about 10 feet away from home plate — single-handedly producing the decisive run in the Padres’ 2–1 victory. Tatis’ steal of third was the 100th stolen base of his career. With that stolen base, Tatis became the seventh-fastest player in Major League history to reach the combination of 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. Tatis did it in 547 games. The only players to reach the 100/100 combination faster were Eric Davis (460 games), Darryl Strawberry (490), Ronald Acuna Jr. (511), Mike Trout (517), Alfonso Soriano (518) and Alex Rodriguez (541). Tatis now has 135 home runs. Tatis is tied with Gwynn for sixth on the Padres’ all-time list of home run leaders and is now 11th in stolen bases. — Teams managed by Mike Shildt are now 27–5 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh for a .844 winning percentage. That is the highest winning percentage by any manager at a single ballpark in Major League history (minimum 25 games). №2 on the list is Jim Mutrie (.813, 26–6 at Metropolitan Park). — The Padres Sunday morning officially promoted right-hander Stephen Kolek from Triple-A El Paso to start Sunday’s series finale in Pittsburgh. To make room for Kolek on the 26-man roster, right-handed reliever David Morgan was optioned to El Paso. — Manny Machado hit his 170th home run as a Padre Saturday. His shot at 114.3 mph also tied for the third hardest hit home run of Machado’s career. His record is 119.6 mph off the Phillies’ Matt Moore on Aug. 20, 2016. — RHP Randy Vásquez lowered his earned run average to 3.90 Saturday, giving up 1 run on 6 hits and 5 walks with 3 strikeouts over 5 innings. The bullpen followed with four hitless, scoreless innings. — RHP Robert Suarez picked up his Major League-leading 13th save while lowering his ERA to 0.60 and his opponents’ batting average to .102 (5-for-49). He issued his fourth walk, however, to shoot his WHIP up to 0.600. Padres’ CF Jackson Merrill (hamstring) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Saturday night in his first rehab start for Double-A San Antonio. Padres’ 2B Jake Cronenworth (non-displaced fractured rib) was 1-for-3 in his rehab debut in the Arizona Complex League. Starting LH Jagger Haynes (4.74 earned run average), the Padres’ №19 prospect, gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk with 9 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings for San Antonio. Starting RH Isaiah Lowe (1–2, 6.59), the Padres’ №10 prospect, gave up a hit and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts in 5 scoreless innings to earn the win for High Single-A Fort Wayne. DH Kavares Tears (.283), the Padres’ №7 prospect, was 1-for-4 with a run for Single-A Lake Elsinore. C Lamar King Jr. (.284), the Padres’ №29 prospect, had an RBI double in 4 at-bats. PH-DH Kale Fountain, the Padres’ №8 prospect, was 1-for-1 with a RBI and a walk in the Arizona Complex League. DH Kai Roberts, the Padres’ №23 prospect, was 1-for-2 with a stolen base. Starting LH Kyle Hart gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in his first start for Triple-A El Paso. TRIPLE-A EL PASO (14–18) — Chihuahuas 4, OKLAHOMA CITY 2: 3B Mike Brousseau (.221) hit a solo home run in 4 at-bats. C Cody Roberts (.273) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run. DH Yonathan Perlaza (.348) had a 2-run double in 5 at-bats. RHP Reiss Knehr (3.60) pitched a perfect inning for his fifth save. DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (13–13) — MISSIONS 4, Corpus Christi 1: 3B-1B Devin Ortiz (.315) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run. RF Joshua Mears (.189) had a solo home run in 4 at-bats. C-2B Anthony Vilar (.232) was 2-for-4. HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (15–11) — TIN CAPS 2, Dayton 0: LHP Harry Gustin (2.33) followed Lowe and issued a walk with 4 strikeouts in 4 hitless, scoreless innings to earn his second save. RF Jacob Campbell (.225) was 2-for-3 with a 2-run home run. SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (10–16) — Inland Empire 6, STORM 2: CF Alex McCoy (.250) was 2-for-4 with a RBI double. ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE PADRES (0–1) — RANGERS 4, Padres 3: SS Yimy Tovar was 2-for-4 with 2 runs. May 4, 1977 — The Padres and Phillies complete a nine-inning game at San Diego Stadium in a franchise-record one hour and 29 minutes. The secret to the quickest game in Padres’ history are the fast-working pitchers, Randy Jones and Jim Kaat of the Phillies. Jones allows 1 run on 4 hits and a walk in a complete game as Padres win 4–1. LF Gene Richards was 2-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Help 2025) – An eventful evening in San Antonio which included Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill’s addition to the lineup for a rehab assignment and a Top Gun themed game was capped off with a 4-1 win for the San Antonio Missions (13-13) over the Corpus Christi Hooks 2025) – An eventful evening in San Antonio which included Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill’s addition to the lineup for a rehab assignment and a Top Gun themed game was capped off with a 4-1 win for the San Antonio Missions (13-13) over the Corpus Christi Hooks (9-17) in front of 4,778 fans at Wolff Stadium the 2024 MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger winner batted second in Luke Montz’s lineup while playing center field for the Missions Jagger Haynes took the mound for his sixth start of the year Saturday night striking out nine Hooks through 4.2 innings while walking one and allowing the two first inning hits The only run Haynes allowed came in to score after Corpus Christi leadoff man Pascanel Ferreras tripled Haynes hit the first batter he faced in the top of the fifth then struck out the next two batters but walked Jose Gonzalez prompting Montz to call upon Stephen Jones in relief Jones caught Ferreras looking for the last out of the inning to preserve the score and allow the Missions offense to turn and burn The result was a 410ft game tying blast off the bat of Joshua Mears (3) that would even make Maverick jealous with its 108mph exit velo The Missions would take the lead 3-1 later in the inning after RBI singles by Brandon Valenzuela and Devin Ortiz scored Kai Murphy and Merrill Jones completed the next inning before Carter Loewen was brought in for the seventh Loewen pitched a scoreless seventh to preserve the lead striking out one along the way to get the ball to Jake Higginbotham Higginbotham would go on to pitch a scoreless 1-2-3 eighth while striking out two San Antonio’s offense would increase their lead to 4-1 in the bottom half of the inning Two singles by Ortiz and Anthony Vilar would lead off the frame Ortiz would then come around to score after the next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt and forced an errant throw from Luis Encarnacion Manuel Castro would get the final three outs of the game for the save The Missions will wrap up their six-game series at home against the Corpus Christi Hooks on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m 3.18) takes the mound for San Antonio while Alex Santos II (0-1 Military Appreciation Nights offer 4 FREE Bullpen/Outfield Reserve tickets to those who show a valid military ID at the box office Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The 2025 season will be the 123rd professional season for the San Antonio Missions. The 2025 schedule is out now! Call 210-675- 7275 to discuss pricing for season tickets, group tickets and hospitality packages. The Missions Box Office is cashless, and fans can purchase tickets using credit cards. For more information, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com 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 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium More news: Padres Insider Says It’s Time to Worry About $280 Million All-Star 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 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 More news: Padres Didn't Get One Trade Offer for All-Star Off to Dominant Start in 2025 “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 just sign for $700 million and want everything to be perfect I’ve got people all around the clubhouse that are supporting me 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 More news: Dodgers Insider Says Padres are Biggest Challenge to LA's NL West Title Quest Merrill, who signed a lucrative nine-year contract extension with the Padres in April will presumably call San Diego home until 2034 or 2035 he's on the injured list and the team is cautiously guarding his return from a right hamstring strain Guess who’s back!? 👀@mlb All-Star Jackson Merrill joins the Missions tomorrow for a rehab assignment. Get your tickets now to join the Madness: https://t.co/T1VV9bL4nP pic.twitter.com/50drUIiO3G Merrill will play a minor league rehab game with Double-A San Antonio It will be his first competitive game since he suffered the injury on April 6 Merrill was slashing .378/.415/.676 with three home runs and 10 RBIs More news: Ball Boy Suffers Medical Emergency in Padres Minor League Game The Padres have thrived in spite of Merrill's absence taking a 20-11 record into Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres are hoping to activate Merrill for Monday's game against the New York Yankees More news: Padres Manager Pushing For $30 Million Baseball Museum Expansion That's contingent on his rehab assignment going well considering how much time Merrill has missed But if anyone can bounce back from an injury quickly it's a 22-year-old athlete at the top of his game Merrill was the runner-up to Paul Skenes in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2024 he was pressed into service as an outfielder in spring training Not only did Merrill adapt quickly to the new position he was named the team's Opening Day center fielder and never ceded the position More news: Former Padres Outfielder Signing With NL West Rivals Merrill hit .292 with a .326 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage and was a reliable producer in the clutch as the Padres clinched a National League Wild Card berth Merrill went 6-for-24 in seven games with a home run and five RBIs The Padres pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink in a best-of-five NL Division Series before being eliminated in the winner-take-all game in Los Angeles More news: Injured Padres All-Star Luis Arraez's Return Date Revealed in New Report Merrill returned to his now-familiar center field position to begin the 2025 season. Spring training was barely over when he finalized the contract extension — widely heralded as a bargain for the team have been the Padres' primary center fielders in Merrill's absence For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI Merrill (hamstring) appears on track to return from the 10-day injured list Monday in the Padres' series opener versus the Yankees in New York, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The pile of injuries that has infected the San Diego Padres in the first month of the season could have been devastating but the club has managed to keep their head above water With major absences in Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, and Yu Darvish still ongoing, we may be reaching the finish line with most of them As Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune has reported Merrill could return as soon as this coming Monday and Cronenworth may be back on the field in a week or so Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge are “towards the finish line” of their rehab Jake Cronenworth heads to the team’s spring complex today for live at-bats could be back for the Friars' big three-game series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees The star outfielder is rehabbing in Arizona at the organization's complex alongside Brandon Lockridge who also is healing from a hamstring problem Merrill's return for this specific series would be huge This could be one of the marquee inter-league series this season He hasn't played since April 6 and landed on the injured list with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in 10 games Cronenworth has not played since April 9 and had an .895 OPS through his first dozen games before a rib fracture sidelined him A possible return for him could be in Colorado when the Padres face the Rockies for a three-game weekend series As for Darvish who has not pitched at all this regular season he has reportedly tossed two bullpen sessions and is hopefully facing live batters this upcoming weekend the right-handed ace is back in the Friars' starting rotation before June 1 Players like Luis Arraez and Jason Heyward have made their way back to full health showing signs of promise that the Padres are not just going to limp their way through the 2025 season It was a troublesome trend that San Diego was headed in but Merrill and Cronenworth can return at some point next week there will be some hope that everyone can remain healthy as summer approaches © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"66","src":"67","url":"68"},{"type":"65","value":"69"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"6c","url":"6d"},{"type":"6b","value":"6e"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands With major absences in Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, and Yu Darvish still ongoing, we may be reaching the finish line with most of them As for Darvish Players like Luis Arraez and Jason Heyward have made their way back to full health the Padres have an expected return date for superstar Jackson Merrill The center fielder has been missed for most of this month but his imminent return should get fans excited about his arrival there were a surprising lack of trade offers from opposing teams for right-hander Robert Suarez He was on the trading block during the offseason and is now off to a dominant start in 2025 The Padres have have lucked out given his 0.64 ERA and 12 saves Padres Insider Reveals Jackson Merrill's Target Return Date Padres Didn't Get One Trade Offer for All-Star Off to Dominant Start in 2025 Dodgers Insider Says Padres are Biggest Challenge to LA's NL West Title Quest Ball Boy Suffers Medical Emergency in Padres Minor League Game Padres Insider Says It’s Time to Worry About $280 Million All-Star T-Wade gets the party started! pic.twitter.com/5v0dDVnxb6 Díaz doesn't waste any time 💪 pic.twitter.com/YgQ6zTVgSD What a play, J-Hey! pic.twitter.com/89uouJB44n Midweek win 👏 pic.twitter.com/Fv9T3ltL1O Wheels up to the Steel City. pic.twitter.com/8VkWoPKkWr Lockridge injuries leave SD scrambling in center fieldApril 15th SAN DIEGO -- For the second time in less than a week, the Padres placed their starting center fielder on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Last Tuesday, it was Jackson Merrill. On Monday, it was -- who had since taken over for Merrill in center San Diego promoted Connor Joe from Triple-A El Paso prior to the series opener against the Cubs at Petco Park But the injuries leave the Padres without a natural center fielder on their active roster Here’s a look at their plan for the position -- and why Fernando Tatis Jr does not appear to be an option (for now): Who plays center?The versatile Tyler Wade is the most obvious choice Wade was promoted to fill a utility role when Jake Cronenworth landed on the injured list on Friday He entered Monday with 18 career big league appearances in center field -- and he made a number of appearances there during Spring Training It stands to reason that Wade would get the bulk of the starts there while Lockridge and Merrill are out But there’s every chance the Padres would look to sit Wade against left-handed pitching or pinch-hit for him late in games Which means they need more center-field help on the roster Jason Heyward was the next name mentioned by manager Mike Shildt He has played primarily left field this season and won five Gold Gloves as a right fielder Heyward has made 230 appearances in center -- mostly early in his career But he did play there three times last year It’s possible Heyward could slide to center against lefties allowing the Padres to put a righty bat like Joe or Oscar Gonzalez in left field if the Padres wanted to load up on right-handed hitters Shildt mentioned Joe as a possibility to play center He’s primarily a first baseman and corner outfielder but he recently played four games in center with Triple-A El Paso have an especially rangy right fielder who once aspired to play center field there’s little doubt that Tatis would thrive in center field But the Padres see little reason to ask him to make that change He’s already one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball winner of the 2023 Platinum Glove in the National League right field at Petco Park is spacious enough where Tatis’ skill set plays Preller has often referred to it as “a second center field.” Tatis is coming off a season in which he played through a stress reaction in his right leg Tatis once again looks like a Platinum Glover in right the Padres just think it isn’t worth shaking things up “He looks really good in right field,” Shildt said I feel like we’ve got a significant strength there When are Merrill and Lockridge due back?The plan for Tatis might be a bit different if the Padres needed to find a center fielder for the rest of the season they’re only looking at center-field replacements for the next couple weeks Lockridge sustained the injury to his left hamstring while trying to beat out a double play in the seventh inning of the Padres’ victory over the Rockies on Sunday Shildt indicated the issue didn’t seem too serious “We feel good about it again today,” Shildt said you can pretty much guarantee an IL [stint].” Lockridge could return by the end of the month still does not have a timetable for his return from his right hamstring strain He’s yet to resume running and hasn’t taken full swings Defenseman Jon Merrill speaks with media before tonight's Game Five matchup against the Golden Knights Faber discusses 24-25 season with the media Fleury discusses 24-25 season with the media Spurgeon discusses 24-25 season with the media Gus Bus discusses 24-25 season with the media Kirill discusses 24-25 season with the media Marco discusses 24-25 season with the media Ekker discusses 24-25 season with the media Zuccy discusses 24-25 season with the media Boldy discusses 24-25 season with the media Nyquist discusses 24-25 season with the media Zeev discusses 24-25 season with the media Coach discusses elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 loss to Golden Knights Gus Bus discusses elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 loss to Golden Knights Kirill discusses elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 loss to Golden Knights Moose discusses elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 loss to Golden Knights Hartzy discusses elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 loss to Golden Knights VGK@MIN: Hartman scores goal against Adin Hill Coach on tonight's Game 6 matchup against the Golden Knights Jackson Merrill placed on injured list with hamstring strainApril 9th WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Padres have locked up for the next 10 years they’re fine taking the next 10 days to make sure he’s healthy San Diego placed Merrill on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain recalling outfielder Oscar Gonzalez in his place The team is optimistic that Merrill, who last week inked a nine-year contract extension through the 2034 season Here’s a look at the injury and what it means for the Padres: How long is Merrill out?The IL placement rules Merrill out for the upcoming six-game homestand Merrill will be eligible to return on April 18 when San Diego opens a three-game series in Houston Early indications are that Merrill’s IL stint could last only the minimum 10 days But the Padres will re-evaluate as they get closer to their next road trip through Houston and Detroit it doesn’t appear to be anything overly serious,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt “There wasn’t a traumatic event that caused it There was some tightness that clearly is real “We just felt like it was going to be close to the 10 days -- right at that mark Instead of playing [one player] short … just go ahead and get it done.” After Merrill played 156 games in his rookie season his IL stint is his first as a big leaguer Who replaces Merrill in center field?There’s only one center fielder on the active roster: Brandon Lockridge “You could expect to see Lock stay in center field,” Shildt said we’ll just play the game as we see it [in left field] Until Merrill missed his first game on Monday Lockridge had been serving as part of a left field platoon with Jason Heyward the Padres went with a bit of a strange alignment using infielder Jose Iglesias in left -- his first professional appearance in the outfield That plan was short-lived, as the Padres' injury issues quickly compounded. Both Jake Cronenworth (right side contusion) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (left shoulder discomfort) exited Tuesday’s game -- a 10-4 loss to the A’s while Heyward took over for Tatis in right Tatis said he expects to avoid an IL stint the Padres could be looking at a platoon between the lefty-hitting Heyward and the righty-hitting Gonzalez in left field How do the Padres replace Merrill in the lineup?The short answer is: They can’t After posting the best rookie season in franchise history in 2024, Merrill was off to a torrid start to his ’25 campaign. In his most recent game, he launched a no-doubt home run to straightaway center at Wrigley Field on Sunday afternoon. Through 10 games, Merrill is hitting .378 with a 1.091 OPS But Shildt often likes to talk about challenges through the lens of the opportunities they create The biggest opportunities fall to Lockridge and Gonzalez Gonzalez was a Spring Training standout, posting a .995 OPS across 21 Cactus League games. He was one of the final cuts from the team’s Opening Day roster but was added to the 40-man roster on Thursday With defense the obvious priority at the bottom the Padres will ask the fearsome top of their lineup to carry the day offensively Perhaps the most intriguing question regarding the Padres plans is this one: Who plays center field if the Padres need to pinch-hit for Lockridge Heyward and Gonzalez have done it in the past but they aren’t as rangy as they once were the Padres employ a certain right fielder who -- if healthy -- can cover an awful lot of ground defensively Opinion | Apr 30 As Roaring Fork Valley residents for 40 years we wholeheartedly support Bob Gardener’s re-election to the Holy Cross Board of Directors he was a Holy Cross employee for 31 years and moved from entry-level positions to executive management during that time He knows well the Holy Cross service territory and is very familiar with consumer concerns He has served on the Holy Cross Board since 2012 and is deeply involved with the Holy Cross charitable Round Up Foundation the company’s electrical rates have been in the lower third of all Colorado utilities Holy Cross is on its way to having an 100% clean energy power supply by 2030 He has been a valley resident for over 60 years and raised his family here By continuing to serve on the Holy Cross Board he will offer his wisdom and experience gained from his long term association with the company and with our valley Readers around Aspen and Snowmass Village make the Aspen Times’ work possible Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage Nebraska passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday Nebraska.  She was born on January 11 Brit is survived by her daughters Eleanor and Zephyr Merrill-Newman of Stella NE; her mother Tj Merrill-Newman and husband Bob of Stella NE; and many other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her beloved dog Rawsta and her maternal and fraternal grandparents Brit was an adventurer going wherever her gypsy soul took her She had too many talents and interests to list leaving her neither bored nor boring Her love of animals was apparent to anyone who knew her Her ability to follow her heart and to move mountains for those she loved were unmatched She was particularly known for her boisterous laughter and (terrible but joyful) singing She will be missed forever by those whose lives she touched and there were many A Celebration of Brittany's life will be held at a later date memorial contributions may be given to the Oneida County Humane Society in Rhinelander Condolences can be shared online at www.wherrymortuary.com Services entrusted to Wherry Mortuary-207 N While they failed to take this key game against Philadelphia it was the early exit of starting pitcher Merrill Kelly that created the biggest concern Merrill Kelly led the Diamondbacks onto the field on Friday The veteran right-hander was coming off a streak of strong outings allowing two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts Kelly continues to be plagued by an issue which seems to be affecting the Diamondbacks' pitching staff as a whole This was the case once more in Philadelphia as after a strong start a single from Trea Turner and double from Kyle Schwarber gave the Phillies an early lead opposing hitters batted .370 against Kelly during a game's opening frames Opposing lineups also posted a .667 slugging percentage with a 1.152 OPS Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo took the mound on Friday against the Diamondbacks ranking among the best pitchers in baseball With a familiar face in Ketel Marte leading things off the D-backs jumped on the left-hander early in a continued trend from the Arizona offense Luzardo's pitch count was forced high quickly with many coming in high-leverage situations Kelly's pitch count sat at only 38 through the same distance The Diamondbacks answered back in the fourth inning A double from the left fielder was capitalized on by a Geraldo Perdomo single sending down seven straight after allowing the first run of the ballgame Gabriel Moreno belted his third double of the year The extra base knock extended his growing hit streak to six games and marked his first barreled ball of the season He also set up Gurriel once again who seems to be breaking out of his month-long slump A three-hit game from the left fielder gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead knocking the dominant Luzardo out of the game after only 5.1 innings tied for his second shortest start of the season But the Diamondbacks wouldn't keep their starter in much longer as Merrill Kelly who had been dominating the Phillies was forced to once again exit the game early catcher Jose Herrera called the trainer out to the mound Manager Torey Lovullo confirmed postgame to Dbacks.TV's Jody Jackson that it was the same cramping issue for Kelly "It was the same situation that we've been dealing with And he was doing all that he could on a night where we really were thinned out in the bullpen He was he was looking like he was going to carry the load for us but it ended abruptly there," Lovullo said when it pops up he's going to need a little bit of rest Lovullo said it was "the most frustrated" he'd seen Kelly after a removal from a game We're going to figure this out with him I believe there's a solution to everything and we're going to figure this out," Lovullo said This left a tired Arizona bullpen in charge of closing out the ballgame and Shelby Miller each presumably out for the game after a heavy workload in New York it was rookie pitcher Juan Morillo who was the first man out of the pen The flamethrowing right-hander electrified the D-backs' dugout striking out Bryce Harper to secure a scoreless frame Jose Castillo the next man up for the Diamondbacks wasn't quite as fortunate but paved the way for Max Kepler to give Philadelphia the lead two batters later Arizona's offense failed to recover after going just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position The Diamondbacks also now fall to 2-7 against left-handed starters a stat which while not as relevant against Luzardo still punctuates a growing struggle against southpaws The D-backs will try and recover from this series opening loss on Saturday where play resumes 3:05 p.m AARON HUGHESAaron Hughes is a writer for Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI. Aaron also writes for Good Morning Baseball. From stats and analytics to player updates he keeps fans up to date with everything Dbacks. Follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronRHughes College News I am delighted to announce that Miriam Merrill director of athletics and chair of physical education at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges will return to Hamilton on July 1 as chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees Miriam was associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at Hamilton from 2017 to 2020 Miriam will serve as an officer of the College coordinate the activities of the senior staff and the President’s Office and advise me on institutional priorities and issues of strategic importance In her dual role as secretary to the board she will be responsible for planning and implementing trustee meetings serving as the trustees’ primary point of contact with the College Miriam was chosen from an extremely strong and well-qualified pool of candidates She impressed the search committee with her integrity demonstrated ability to partner collaboratively with colleagues and commitment to building productive relationships with a range of constituencies having spent much of her career in athletic administration she is familiar with building effective teams and establishing high expectations — all skills that will serve her well in this new role I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Klapmeyer for serving in this role since January while continuing as associate vice president for facilities and planning and staff could have juggled both jobs so seamlessly He will continue his dual responsibilities until Miriam arrives this summer I am looking forward to working with Miriam and I’m sure our community will as well SAN DIEGO -- has said he wants to be a Padre for life he’s now set to be a Padre for the rest of his 20s the 21-year-old center fielder put the finishing touches on a nine-year contract extension that will keep him in San Diego through the 2034 season and carries a club option for ’35 The extension guarantees Merrill $135 million “I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Merrill during a press conference Wednesday at the Petco Park auditorium “I’m just looking forward to keeping it going for the next nine years Quite an opening week for the Padres, who are off to a 6-0 start -- the best in team history keep going to battle every day,” Merrill said I’ve never felt a connection with a city before like I feel here.” but Merrill is already building on that strong rookie campaign He launched his first home run on Tuesday night in the Padres’ 7-0 victory over the Guardians “The talent is the talent -- it’s clearly special,” said manager Mike Shildt “But what resonates with me is Jackson’s authenticity and who he is as a person … It’s really a blessing to be with this guy and work with him It’s a privilege to be with him the next several years He’s joining a core group of players that are very special here Merrill’s extension further solidifies a Padres core that is set to be in San Diego for the long haul and Xander Bogaerts are all signed with the club through the 2033 season at least “We’re continuing to add to the core group of guys that are going to bring a championship to San Diego,” general manager A.J But I think we just want to make sure … that when the fans of San Diego buy a ticket Preller revealed Wednesday that the Padres started extension talks with Merrill’s camp dating as far back as two years ago when Merrill had only just finished his first full professional season Preller had never before engaged with a Single-A player about a contract extension “But Jackson was pretty different,” Preller said if we can do this for a long time together Merrill and the Padres never got all that close at the time They re-engaged last offseason before Merrill’s big league callup In the aftermath of Merrill’s breakout rookie season he reinforced to the Padres his desire to remain in San Diego long term “That kind of felt a little different than just a conversation that we were having,” Preller said “It kind of felt like he was real serious about it Merrill undoubtedly earned himself a few extra dollars with his performance But ultimately the two sides reached the outcome both desired – one Merrill said he’d envisioned for a long even talked to me for the first time,” Merrill said “Before the Draft ever even happened in 2021 The Padres were the first team that ever reached out to me Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball another decade of Merrill in brown and gold ought to suffice Kelly left the game with cramps after the fifth inning During Friday’s game against the Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly was forced to leave due to cramps Merrill Kelly is walking off the mound here while warming up for the 6th. Might be a cramping issue. @Dbacks Kelly called for a trainer and left the game before the inning could start It’s unclear what kind of cramps he was experiencing but they were severe enough to force him from the game as he had thrown four straight scoreless innings after surrendering a run in the first inning The outing had brought his ERA down to 4.06 Hopefully nothing more serious than cramps occurred and he will be available for his next start We will provide updates on Kelly’s status as they come in The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change Tracking the leaders for DraftKings King of the Diamond Monday 5/5/25 MLB slate Athletics 2B Zack Gelof (hand) will start the season on the injured list Arozarena was removed from Sunday’s game due to a hamstring issue CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/DC/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NJ/NH/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY) (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA) Call 877-8-HOPENY / text HOPENY (467369) (NY).Please Gamble Responsibly Void where prohibited.21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY) Physically present in AZ/CO/DC/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY only On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).