Merrill is absent from Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.
Merrill will get some additional rest Saturday with the Padres locked into a playoff spot, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Brandon Lockridge will start in center field and bat eighth.
Merrill went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 3-1 win over the Astros.
Merrill has broken out of a recent slump by logging multiple hits in three of his last four games. The rookie is batting .295 (26-for-88) with seven homers over his last 24 contests. He's up to a .290/.322/.504 slash line with 24 homers, 86 RBI, 74 runs scored and 16 stolen bases through 146 contests overall. His well-rounded production and relatively good health have him firmly in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation.
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Padres' Jackson Merrill: Racks up three hits in win
Rotowire
Merrill went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's 5-0 win over the Giants.
Merrill entered Friday in a 1-for-18 slump over his last six games, but he was able to break out of it as one of four Padres to log multiple hits. The 21-year-old has recorded 13 games with three or more hits this year, and he has multiple extra-base hits in six of them. He's up to a .289/.321/.498 slash line with 23 home runs, 83 RBI, 73 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 25 doubles and six triples over 143 contests, despite being a rookie who skipped Triple-A.
