SAN DIEGO- Centerfielder Jackson Merrill was dropped to the fifth spot ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Just take a little bit off,” said Manager Mike Shildt about moving Merrill down. “Don’t feel like you got to carry so much at the top.”
Merrill has slashed .172/.279/.207 over his last 15 games and is one for his last 19.
“I just got to keep playing,” said Merrill. “The hardest thing right now is just being patient.”
This stretch has statistically been the biggest slump of Jackson’s young career thus far. Some movement in the lineup could be exactly what he needs.
“We’ve talked about it [moving down], I don’t care. Just put me in there,” said Merrill.
Despite the slump, Shildt isn’t worried about Merrill’s production.
“I really don’t have a lot of concern about Jackson,” said Shildt. “He’s a strong-minded kid, and he knows he’s a good player.”
Starter Nick Pivetta is on the bump against the D-backs and looks to replicate his success against them from last month’s outing.
The last time Pivetta saw the D-backs, he went seven innings and allowed two earned runs with nine strikeouts.
With the ups and downs, injuries and inconsistency with the pitching staff this season for the Padres, Pivetta has been a safety blanket.
“They’re called aces and Nick’s been one of those guys for us,” said Shildt. “He’s got the talent to execute all the different things that come into winning baseball games.
Pivetta currently has a career low 3.25 ERA, is tied for second in the NL with nine wins and is fourth in the NL with a 1.04 WHIP.