Padres Spring Training Notebook: Jackson Merrill blasts homer versus M's, Buehler taking steps

As Padres stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado left Peoria to join Team Dominican Republic for the World Baseball classic, it was 22-year-old Jackson Merrill who powered San Diego past the Seattle Mariners in a 7-1 Cactus League victory on Saturday afternoon. Merrill's two-run shot in the second was his first this spring.

Left-hander JP Sears took the hill for the second time this spring, looking much more relaxed. He tossed three innings, gave up one run while punching out a batter. The lone strikeout, though, came in the form of a Cal Raleigh foul tip in the first inning. He'll likely have to put together a few more outings like Saturday's to be a serious contender for the fifth starter's role in the Padres rotation.

A nasty bullpen

San Diego relievers combined to toss six scoreless innings against Seattle, racking up seven strikeouts as a unit. Among the plethora of arms to come out of Ruben Niebla's gaudy pen' in the victory were Jeremiah Estrada, Bradgley Rodriguez, newcomer Ty Adcock, and the ever-so daunting closer Mason Miller.

Rodriguez, who made his big league debut last season, is an intriguing name to keep an eye on in Padres camp. His electric fastball, which can reach up to 100 mph, and breaking pitches could help see the young righty take on a larger role within the Padres bullpen in 2026. He pitched to a 1.17 ERA with nine strikeouts in seven relief appearances last year. 

It's been well documented since last November that rival clubs have shown strong interest in San Diego's high end relievers. If A.J. Preller is inclined enough to swing a trade before Opening Day, the bullpen is the Padres' biggest area of strength to deal from. With the emergence of Minor League arms such as Garrett Hawkins, Tucker Musgrove, and Francis Peña, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the Friars try ushering in new names into the mix this season.

Walker Buehler settling into Brown & Gold

It's still an odd sight to many seeing a longtime arch-nemesis switch sides and all of the sudden be pulling for the same cause. That very well might be what veteran starter Walker Buehler may still be thinking about himself. The 31-year-old Kentucky native spent the better half of the first six years of his professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, gaining league-wide recognition as one baseball's best arms.

A second Tommy John surgery and two struggle-filled seasons later, Buehler's turned to the club that was his biggest adversary for an opportunity at perhaps regaining his former self. He took a big step in doing so on Saturday, after facing hitters from the KBO's NC Dinos. He pitched about three frames and threw 48 total pitches.

“The first inning was a little rough,” Buehler said after his live bullpen session. “A bunch of singles, but throwing strikes. I think the velocity was a little bit above where we thought it would be. Overall, a lot of good, a lot of bad, lots of stuff to figure out. Only so much you’re gonna get out of it today. But all in all, a good day," he added.

Buehler was pulled after the first inning of his session, but later returned to set down five straight batters. His fastball reached 92 mph while getting some swing and miss from his breaking pitches. 

Morejón back at work

All-Star left-hander Adrian Morejón got his first taste of game action this spring agaisnt the Dinos as well. The flame-thrower dominated his KBO counterparts with an 11 pitch, 1-2-3 inning. In 73 2/3 innings last season, Morejón notched 70 strikeouts with a 0.90 WHIP and 2.08 ERA.