On Sunday, the Padres activated Jackson Merrill from the 7-day concussion IL, and he is batting second against Seth Lugo and the Royals in his return from the injury.
Merrill ended up on the injured list last Sunday after a hard tag on the helmet from Ketel Marte when Merrill was attempting to steal second base. It was Merrill’s second trip to the injured list in the last month, since he was just working his way back from a different injury, a hamstring strain.
The 22-year-old Merrill has been solid when available this season, hitting .304 with five homers, one stolen base, 26 RBIs and a .355 wOBA.
His return will coincide with Brandon Lockridge returning to the minors. Lockridge has filled in for 47 games in the outfield this season but is hitting only .216 with a .235 wOBA.
Fantasy Baseball Impact
Merrill’s return is a big boost to the Padres’ lineup as they look to keep up with the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West race. They start Sunday’s action five games behind the Dodgers as they look to get a series win over the Royals. They’ll continue their homestand this week with a three-game series against the Nationals before going on the road to Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
Merrill can be used as normal in all formats now that he’s back in the lineup, and his return gives the whole offense a boost going forward. For DFS, he’ll bring a good ceiling but still be high-risk until he gets his groove back.
