Padres Notebook: Jackson Merrill returns, Michael King is optimistic

SAN DIEGO-- His absence was short but the Padres felt every bit of the seven days Jackson Merrill was gone from their lineup.On Sunday, Merrill was activated from the seven-day injured list, after sustaining a concussion on June 15th at the Arizona Diamondbacks. Merrill batted second for just the second time in his career, with Luís Arráez dropping to fourth in the order. 

Merrill went 1-for-4 in his return, doubling to lead off the seventh inning, and eventually scoring on pinch-hitter Jose Iglesias's two-run single. He was robbed of a two-run homer in the eighth inning on a superb haul by Royals right-fielder Jac Caglianone but returned the favor in the ninth, gunning out Drew Waters at home on entertaining 8-4-2 putout in the Padres 3-2 win over the Royals. 

Is it acceptable to tip your cap to the opposing player if they rob you of a home run? That was the debate between Merrill and locker mate Gavin Sheets, who said it's absolutely not the right thing to do.

OMG, bro.

Padres infielder José Iglesias, who drove in the game-tying run with a two-out, two-run pinch single in the seventh inning, gunned out Drew Waters at home in the ninth and then walked it off in the ninth,  says he has a new single dropping later this month.



Padres manager Mike Shildt says he's mulled moving Merrill up to the two hole in the lineup before he went on the injured list.

Notable

It went from sleeping wrong on his right shoulder to a clown question to being adamant he'll pitch again this season.

Nearly a month ago, Padres ace Michael King was scratched from a scheduled start versus the Atlanta Braves, eventually landing on the injured list with what was described as shoulder inflammation. Since then, manager Mike Shildt has spoken in vague tones when asked about his injury and the timeline of a return. often repeating it's a historical injury that doesn't occur in baseball.

Following the Padres 6-5 loss to the Royals on Friday night, King spoke to reporters about his injury and reiterated that he expects to pitch again this season. 

"Everybody says with nerves, it just a time thing," said King. "I'm doing everything I possibly can to get it going. I know that everybody tells me that it will come back quickly. I'm just in that lull right now where I'm just trying to keep the body going and be ready to go as soon as I can."

"I've talked to people all over the country. I've traveled from coast to coast. Scott Hacker, our PT, is a freaking warrior. We're learning things about the nervous system, at least I am, that I never thought I would learn about obviously not leaving any stone unturned. It's just a rehab process, just a grueling process."

King was asked why he's optimistic he can return this season, although he has no clear timeline to resuming baseball activities. 

"If you look at other nerve injuries, one of the guys that I actually had Hacker reach out to, the Tigers PT, because Parker Meadows had the nerve issue with his bicep. Based on my progress in three and a half weeks, the Tigers PT was like 'oh my god, it's night and day, he's so much more advanced then where Parke was at this stage,' which gives me confidence. It was not the same nerve. You would have to fact-check what his nerve was. Mine's a long thoracic nerve. If you look up any long thoracic nerve injuries in baseball, there are none. There are a ton in other overhead athletes. And so we're just in that discovery face of what helped them get back, but obviously they're not throwing baseballs like I am." 

"It's taking it step-by-step and knowing it can fire when it fires but obviously it's annoying process. I've got a ton of confidence that what we're doing is the correct thing to do and I've felt my body progress in great ways. I'm very confident that I will pitch by the end of the year."

Still packing them in. The Padres recorded their 32nd sellout of the season, with 43, 507 announced fans on Sunday afternoon.