Manny Machado knows the San Diego Padres need every healthy player available to make a deep run this MLB season. But now, according to a recent report, three of his teammates could remain on the injured list much longer than expected.
Padres General Manager AJ Preller told 97.3 The Fan that it’s highly unlikely the team will get Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, or Brandon Lockridge back during the upcoming homestand—despite earlier expectations that they would be ready to return.
All three players were originally expected to come off the injured list after 10 days. That especially applied to Jackson Merrill, who had already hit three home runs and was batting .378 in the early stretch of the season.
When will they return?
Unfortunately, Preller didn’t provide a clear timeline for Lockridge or Merrill. He only noted that their hamstring injuries are improving but healing slowly, which is common with that type of issue. As for Cronenworth, it’s the same situation—he’s still recovering from a rib injury.
Manny Machado #13 and Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres look on after being awarded the Silver Slugger award for the 2024 season prior to a game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 12, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Their absence is a big hit to the Padres’ defense. Machado will be without key teammates who were contributing earlier in the year. Cronenworth alone was batting .257 over his limited action in the 2025 MLB season.
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Still holding strong
Even without Merrill, Cronenworth, and Lockridge, the Padres are finding ways to win. They’ve climbed to a 17-8 record overall, keeping themselves in a strong position while they wait for reinforcements to return and boost the lineup.
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