Shildt: Merrill will join Padres for opener in Korea
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
PEORIA, Ariz. — San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt stopped just short of declaring that shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill has already locked down an everyday role in his outfield, even though it has become fairly obvious throughout camp. All he would say Tuesday is that the 20-year-old shortstop-turned-center fielder will be on the Padres’ season-opening trip to South Korea.
“He’s earned his way on the plane,” Shildt said shortly after watching Merrill hit an opposite-field home run off All-Star starter Zac Gallen. “He’s earned what’s coming after the plane.”
The Padres began spring training with only two outfielders on their 40-man roster and promised to give Merrill every opportunity to solidify a regular role, even though he has played in only 46 games above Class A.
Merrill, ESPN’s 12th-ranked prospect to begin the season, came up as a shortstop and began playing left field toward the tail end of the 2023 minor league season. His time this spring has come almost exclusively in center field, a position he had never played until training there this offseason. Scouts who have watched Merrill throughout spring training say he has handled himself well there, but what has really stood out to them is his bat.
Merrill has hit .343/.395/.600 through 38 Cactus League plate appearances, with several hard outs sprinkled in. His home run Tuesday was his second in as many days.
“I’m not being self-centered, but that’s what I should do,” Merrill said. “I should have a good AB, be ready to swing, be ready to hit. They come at you. [Gallen] came at me with a fastball, and I was ready to go. I’m not going to talk anything bad on his name — he’s a great pitcher — but I was ready to go at that point.”
A late-rising high school prospect out of Maryland, Merrill was drafted by the Padres with the 27th overall pick in 2021, then watched his elite bat-to-ball skills translate to the professional ranks. Merrill has hit .295/.347/.455 in 200 minor league games at three levels in the Padres’ system, though he has yet to reach Triple-A.
His age and lack of upper-level experience, not to mention his transition to a foreign position, made Merrill’s prospects for Opening Day seem like a long shot. But Merrill has produced — at a time when the Padres, who traded Trent Grisham and Juan Soto over the offseason, have a clear need. Soon, he’s expected to join Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones as the only players since 1974 to start in center field on Opening Day before turning 21.
Given that, Shildt was asked if Merrill had exceeded his expectations.
“No, Jackson has not exceeded my expectations,” Shildt said. “I don’t put a cap on players, including Jackson. This guy’s a special talent. I was pleased for him, it was fun to watch, but it was not surprising. This guy is a really good player.”
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Kristen Shilton
The NHL fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000 and forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for an incident of “unsportsmanlike conduct” in warmups ahead of Game 3 of the team’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Cousins’ fine is the maximum allowed to a player under the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement.
With warmups underway, Cousins was spotted flipping a puck across the center ice line at Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz as he went through his pregame routine.
The two players have history as teammates with Philadelphia Flyers from 2016-17 and with the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers last season. Senators coach Travis Green emphasized that familiarity when asked about the NHL’s investigation Friday, while otherwise keeping his answer lighthearted.
“It’s an active investigation. I don’t know if I should be commenting,” said Green, drawing laughter from the gathered media. “I have people that have advised me maybe not to comment on it.
“I’m kidding. I saw the video. Stolarz and Cousins have played together. [Cousins] is probably trying to laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. It is what it is.”
Green went on to confirm he had spoken to Cousins about the puck flip.
“[He just said] I know him,” Green said of Cousins’ reasoning. “Game within the game. Happens probably a lot more than you think.”
Toronto took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 overtime victory. Ottawa will try to stave off elimination in Game 4 on Saturday.
MONTREAL — Montreal‘s Patrik Laine is out for Friday’s Game 3 of the Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against Washington because of an upper-body injury.
Laine missed the team’s morning skate, and the Canadiens said he will be evaluated daily.
Laine, 27, was benched for the third period of Wednesday’s 3-1 loss in Game 2 after a difficult first two periods. Kasperi Kapanen replaced Laine, while defenseman Arber Xhekaj was inserted into the lineup for Jayden Struble.
The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Laine, known for his dangerous shot, hasn’t scored in his past seven games.
The Canadiens acquired Laine and a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for defenseman Jordan Harris.
Laine had 20 goals, including 15 on the power play, and 13 assists in 52 games this season after missing the first two months with a knee injury.
“We have some guys battling things, so we’ll see what we start with tonight,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said earlier Friday. “Obviously in a series, during games, you make adjustments. That’s part of a best-of-seven.”
Montreal is hosting its first playoff game in front of a sold-out crowd since 2017. The Canadiens played in an empty, or reduced-capacity, Bell Centre during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
The Edmonton Oilers are making a goaltender change, putting Calvin Pickard in the crease for Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Los Angeles Kings.
Looking to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Oilers are turning to Pickard after Stuart Skinner yielded 11 goals on 58 shots as the Kings captured a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Pickard relieved Skinner midway through the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday, allowing one goal on three shots.
The journeyman goaltender was asked Friday afternoon how he plans to approach Game 3.
“The same way I’ve approached every game as an Oiler: go out and do my job and give our team a chance to win,” Pickard said. “Obviously the last two games didn’t go as planned in all facets, but we know we have a better effort in this locker room and we know we’re going to do that tonight.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after Game 2 that he would get together with his coaching staff and decide on a starting goaltender. But Knoblauch added that he believed Skinner was not at fault for the team’s defensive troubles in this series.
“I don’t think there’s been any bad goals. There’s been a lot of goals, but the chances that we’re giving up are Grade A’s,” Knoblauch said. “I’m not sure that are many, ‘Geez, where’s the save there?’ It’s been very difficult for a goaltender playing. More structure and the less we’re giving up those opportunities, it’s a lot easier for Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard playing.”
Pickard, 33, posted a 22-10-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 36 games (31 starts) during the regular season. Skinner, 26, was 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and a .896 save percentage over 51 games (50 starts) during the regular season.
Information from ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Field Level Media was used in this report.
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