Padres notes: Continuing to hope for early Jackson Merrill return; Michael King to throw sim game

Center fielder Jackson Merrill sat on Wednesday for a third straight day, and the time is nearing for the Padres to make a decision about whether it is best to shut him down for a longer period of time to rest his injured left ankle.

“Overall, Jackson is good in the sense that imaging continues to be negative,” Shildt said. “We feel comfortable and confident — even more so today — there is nothing structural or long-term in play here. But there is some bone bruising, which can take a while to heal.”

Merrill last played Sunday, when he was removed from the game after batting in the fourth inning. He rolled his ankle breaking out of the box on a base hit in the ninth inning Friday and played the next two days with the ankle heavily taped.

The start of a 10-day IL stint can be backdated three days. If he was placed on the injured list Thursday, he would miss a minimum of another six games.

The thinking has been that it is better to not have him be ineligible for a full stay on the injured list if he is physically able to come back before that.

“His improvement has been incremental, but it has been small increments,” Shildt said. “Hopefully he can take a step or two. But if not, we’ve got to evaluate now that we’re getting into day four whether he needs to take the 10 days or we can expect him to get back into the competition this weekend.”

Ramón Laureano moved over from left to play center field in place of Merrill with Gavin Sheets getting his second straight start in left field.

Bogaerts sits

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was also on the bench Wednesday after being hit in the hand by a pitch Tuesday night and, for the second straight day, fouling a ball off his shin.

“In the stretch we’re in and him taking a little of the beating he has taken, it just made sense for him to get the day to rest,” Shildt said. “… Xander, to make it clear, could play today and has played through worse. It’s just, ‘Hey man lets take a break.’”

Jose Iglesias started at shortstop on Wednesday after starting at third base on Monday and second base Tuesday.

Second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who missed Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch above the elbow Monday, returned Tuesday

Sim game for King

Michael King will throw a simulated game Sunday morning at Petco Park rather than making a rehab start.

King, on the injured list with a knee inflammation, had fluid in his knee drained and threw in the bullpen on Monday. He has another bullpen scheduled for Thursday.

He is eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday when the Padres are in Seattle. However, his throwing multiple innings on Sunday almost certainly means the earliest he would return is Aug. 29 in Minnesota.