PEORIA, Ariz. — Jackson Merrill ascended methodically through the batting order last season.
Eight of his first nine starts were as the No.9 hitter. The next six were at eighth. He batted seventh most of his next 48 starts and sixth almost all of his next 73 starts before finishing the season with 15 consecutive starts batting fifth.
“He earned the right to get up in the lineup,” manager Mike Shildt said. “You look at what he did after we put him fifth, including the playoffs, and you go “Mmhhmmm.” At every step, it was an aggression, not a regression.”
So, in his second season in the major leagues, the Padres seem poised to make Merrill their No.3 hitter, where he will essentially replace Jurickson Profar, who departed in free agency.
“I’m curious,” he said. “I’m excited for wherever they put me. At the same time, I am curious, because I wonder how different (at-bats) will be, because nobody gets pitched the same. Everybody gets pitched different. It all depends on the spot you’re in. But having protection, in a way, is helpful, because they have the pitch to me. But then also, like being one that’s protecting somebody else, that’s a good role for me, because I can also walk more and hit. I’m curious more than anything. I’m definitely not afraid. I’m excited.”
Machado better
Manny Machado was moving better on Saturday morning, hours after being scratched from Friday night’s game against the Mariners due to back tightness.
“He and our medical (staff) aren’t overly concerned,” Shildt said. “We’ll see about (Sunday), and if not, we’ll take advantage of the off day and get him in there Tuesday.”
The Padres play a home game Sunday and are off Monday.
Nett gains
Braden Nett is not competing for a roster spot in the major leagues.
He is just trying to throw strikes, which is what will eventually get him to the major leagues.
“That’s kind of what I’m hearing right now — just keeping it simple for me,” Nett said.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who spent almost all of last season in Single-A, went right after a Mariners lineup full of regular and was excellent on Friday night.
He surrendered a single on a first-pitch fastball to Randy Arozarena to start the game before getting three straight strikeouts, the last one finished with a curveball in the bottom corner of the strike zone that caught Mitch Haniger looking.
Nett threw 25 strikes among his 37 pitches.
“My attack plan was just get ahead with my fastball,” Nett said. “I do know myself that if I get hit with my fastball, my other stuff just plays. … I felt amazing. Great outing to learn from, getting ahead, establishing myself in the strike zone.”
Nett will likely start the season in Double-A, where he allowed a run in 4⅔ innings in his only start. But he has begun the spring by continuing to make the Padres talk about him as a future member of their rotation.
It is not entirely as easily distilled as this: If Nett throws strikes, he’ll continue on a fairly straight trajectory toward the major leagues. But then again …
“I don’t think it’s too simple (to say that),” Shildt said. “I mean, this guy’s got — that was impressive. He’s been impressive all camp.”
Shildt heard the pitching coaches and player development people talking about Nett in the offseason and said to himself, “I want to see this guy.”
The Padres have long been excited by Nett’s array of pitches (five in all with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s) and the way they move. They were interested to see in spring how he had grown and begun to understand pitching.
“Now he’s figuring out how to use them. When you start to get that clarity of what you’re doing with your arsenal, and start to work on it and get specific with what that looks like in your work, it starts to show up in games. And the hitters tell us. He faced some good hitters last night for sure, and he was in control, poised. The conviction, which I loved.
Darvish pitches
Yu Darvish got his work in.
That is the main objective when a veteran major leaguer is pitching in a “B” game.
The line in three innings against White Sox minor leaguers: 49 pitches, five hits, four runs, no walks, six strikeouts.
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