Apr 8, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Tyler Ferguson (44) and catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrate after defeating the San Diego Padres at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – The San Diego Padres are facing a challenging stretch as they prepare to play without one of their star players and possibly two others in the immediate future.
Shortstop Jackson Merrill was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right hamstring injury. While the injury has yet to be deemed serious, Padres manager Mike Shildt described the move as precautionary before the team’s game against the Oakland A’s in Sacramento.
“The good news is it doesn’t appear to be anything overly serious,” Shildt said. “It wasn’t a traumatic effect that caused it, just general soreness.”
Merrill, who recently inked a nine-year, $135 million contract extension with the Padres, has been a crucial part of the team’s offense, leading the Padres in home runs, RBIs, OPS, and total bases. With Merrill sidelined, the Padres called up outfielder Oscar Gonzalez from Triple-A El Paso to fill the gap.
To compensate for Merrill’s absence in Tuesday’s game, manager Shildt opted to slot Brandon Lockridge into center field and Jose Iglesias into left field. However, the injury woes didn’t end there for the Padres.
In the third inning of the game, second baseman Jake Cronenworth hit a grounder to second base but immediately showed signs of discomfort, bending over in pain and limping off the field. Cronenworth did not return, and the extent of his injury remains unclear.
The Padres’ injury list continued to grow in the fifth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game after an awkward swing in the first inning appeared to cause him discomfort. Tatis, known for his dynamic play at shortstop, is one of the team’s most vital players, and his injury adds to the growing list of concerns.
On the field, the Padres’ struggles were further compounded by a disappointing performance against the A’s. Oakland jumped out to an early lead with a six-run first inning, followed by three more runs in the third. Padres starter Dylan Cease had a tough outing, surrendering a career-high nine earned runs in just four innings of work.
The final score read 10-4 in favor of the A’s, leaving the Padres with a tough loss. With multiple injuries and a lackluster performance on the mound, San Diego faces a difficult road ahead as they try to regroup.
The Padres will look to bounce back as they wrap up their three-game series against the A’s on Wednesday in Sacramento. However, the mounting injuries and uncertain recovery timelines for key players only add to the team’s growing challenges as they aim to stay competitive in the tight NL playoff race.
