Jackson Merrill returns to the Padres lineup for Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. The 22-year-old will man center field and bat fourth as the Padres optioned Luis Campusano to Triple-A El Paso to make room for Merrill’s return.
Tuesday’s first pitch is at 4:05 p.m. on Padres.TV.
The Kid is back. pic.twitter.com/yqKYBsoJkL
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 6, 2025
The Padres have gone 15-9 since Merrill’s hamstring first forced him from the lineup on April 7, the first of a handful of injuries to strike the team after storming out to the game’s best record,
Luis Arraez (concussion) and Jason Heyward (knee) returned from their injuries at the start of the six-game winning streak that the Padres carry into tonight’s game. Brandon Lockridge (hamstring) returned on Friday and Jake Cronenworth (rib) could return to the team as soon as Friday at Coors Field.
Offensively, the team has been more making do than anything during this stretch. They have a .246/.314/.379 batting line over their last 24 games, compared to .285/.358/.409 during a full-strength, 8-2 start to the season.
Merrill was hitting .378/.415/.676 with three homers and 10 RBIs in the first 10 games of the season.
He played seven innings in center field in a rehab game on Saturday at Double-A San Antonio, DH’d for the Missions on Sunday and traveled to the Padres in New York on Monday.
Campusano was 0-for-6 with four walks and a strikeout in a three-game call-up as a designated hitter against three straight lefties.
With Campusano reing El Paso, Gavin Sheets will get the start against DH against Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt. Sheets will bat sixth, between shortstop Xander Bogaerts and Heyward in left field Catcher Elias Díaz will bat eighth and Tyler Wade will get a second straight start at second base as the nine-hole hitter.
Here is how the Yankees will line up for Game 2:
Tuesday Night Baseball. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/ycjoo4B1nv
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 6, 2025
Tuesday’s pitching matchup
Padres RHP Michael King (4-1, 2.09 ERA)
The former Yankee is making his first appearance against his old teammates since they sent him to the Padres before the 2024 season in the Juan Soto trade. King has not completed six innings since his April 13 shutout, but he’s still got a 1.07 ERA over his last four starts, holding hitters to a .421 OPS over that stretch.
The only Yankees that King has history with are new Yankees:
- 1B Paul Goldschmidt (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K)
- UT Pablo Reyes (2 sacrifice hits)
- OF Cody Bellinger (0-for-1)
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 5.52 ERA)
He was scratched from Saturday’s start with soreness in his left side. He’s made three starts since returning from a shoulder injury after posting a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts in last year’s breakout. That includes allowed two runs — one earned — in five innings in a loss to the Padres.
Here is how Schmidt has fared against current Padres:
