San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill was removed from Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park after an apparent back injury.
The injury occurred during a first-inning attempt to rob a home run from Shohei Ohtani.
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Merrill crashed into the right-central field wall but stayed in the game until the top of the fifth inning, when Bryce Johnson replaced him.
Merrill went 0-for-1 with a strikeout before leaving.
According to Dennis Lin, head athletic trainer Mark Rogoff and Craig Stammen spoke with Merrill after his strikeout in the second inning, noting he appeared to be in significant discomfort.
Imaging Scheduled
The Padres plan to send Merrill for imaging to determine the severity of the injury.
If he misses extended time, Johnson is expected to take over starts in center field.
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Merrill had been struggling offensively before the injury, hitting . 215/.
287/. 342 with four home runs.
He was recently moved from the leadoff spot, where he batted . 176/.
300/. 235, as the Padres explored different lineup combinations.
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San Diego entered the game with a 25-17 record, holding a half-game lead over the 25-18 Dodgers in the National League West.
