Subscribe
Follow Us
The San Diego Padres are off to one of their best starts in franchise history despite injuries to Jackson Merrill and others. Before Friday's game against the Houston Astros, manager Mike Shildt gave updates on players sitting on the IL, including Merrill, Yu Darvish, and Jake Cronenworth.
San Diego is still a few weeks away from welcoming back its injured players, according to San Diego Union-Tribune writer Kevin Acee.
Despite being without key pieces throughout the roster, the Padres are favored in their game on Friday against the Houston Astros. San Diego is dominating the early part of the MLB's regular season, holding a lead in the NL West over the uber-talented Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of the good things about dealing with so many injuries? The Padres have uncovered gems that have replaced Merrill and Cronenworth in the field. They need Darvish back, though, to piece together one of the best pitching trios in the league with Dylan Cease and Michael King.
The back of San Diego's rotation is one of the few weak spots on the team, but it's more concerned with getting Darvish back before they address the pitchers behind him. The Dodgers could be shopping one of their starters, but an in-division trade is unlikely.
The season is going as well as it possibly could for the Padres. After losing to the eventual champion Dodgers in the NLDS, San Diego entered the 2025 season with a chip on its shoulder. A win over the Astros on Friday gives the Padres 16 wins in their first 20 games after tying a franchise-best start to a season.
With the team playing so well, Shildt has the freedom to wait for his players to return at 100% from the IL. If the team was struggling, he might have decided to rush his players back, risking more severe injuries later. For now, though, the Padres are doing just fine.
