Jackson Merrill injury: Padres place star outfielder on IL as MLB's hottest team tries to keep surging

Merrill, 21, signed a nine-year, $135 million extension earlier this month

The San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday that center fielder Jackson Merrill has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the Padres promoted fellow outfielder Oscar Gonzalez from Triple-A El Paso to fill the vacated roster spot. Meanwhile, rookie Brandon Lockridge was slotted into Merrill's usual center field slot for the Padres' game against the Athletics.

Merrill, 21, had been dealing with the injury prior to sitting out Monday's series opener. He'll now get the opportunity to recover fully before rejoining San Diego's lineup. His IL stint is backdated to April 7, as Major League Baseball's rules allow teams to retroactively apply the transaction up to three days provided the player did not appear during that interim period. 

Merrill, who signed a nine-year, $135 million extension earlier this month, was off to a phenomenal start to the season. In 10 games, he'd hit .378/.415/.676 (203 OPS+) with three home runs and a stolen base on two attempts. He finished second in Rookie of the Year Award voting last season, posting a 127 OPS+ and an estimated 4.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations hosted by Baseball Reference.

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Mike Axisa

Gonzalez, 27, joined the Padres over the offseason. He's appeared in 145 career big-league games, all with the Cleveland Guardians. In those contests, he's amassed a .269/.299/.413 slash line (101 OPS+) with 13 home runs and 36 additional extra-base hits. Gonzalez's most recent MLB appearance came on October 1, 2023. He spent last season as a member of the New York Yankees' farm system.

The Padres entered Tuesday with the best record in baseball. Our own Mike Axisa detailed what's behind San Diego's outstanding start here.