Padres Top Prospect Jackson Merrill is Done for the Season

A hamstring injury will knock Merrill out for the season.

Padres No. 2-ranked prospect Jackson Merrill, who suffered a hamstring injury acquired a few weeks before the end of the regular season in Double-A, is done for the season.

Merrill had already been ruled out of Double-A San Antonio's postseason roster. The Padres had reportedly considered calling up the shortstop in September, but ultimately decided against doing so.

Merril, who appeared in 114 games this season, hit 15 home runs, stole 15 bases and hit 64 RBIs in 2023. He batted .277/.326/.444 in his third season in the system.

Merrill was drafted 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, and had the best season of his short career in 2023, despite battling the flu twice and the hamstring issue.

The Padres are battling for a spot in the NL Wild Card, but their five-game deficit could prove too much to overcome with just six games remaining in the season. It would take an utter breakdown from a majority of the six teams ahead of the Padres in order for the Friars to pull off the impossible.

As Merrill continued to show improvement this season, perhaps there is a chance that he is contributing to the Padres' championship hopes in the near future. 

San Diego will travel to San Francisco for a three-game series against the Giants before ending their season with a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox.