Padres pregame: Jackson Merrill sits as Bryce Johnson starts in center

Jackson Merrill is out of the lineup a day after left ankle discomfort forced him from the game, paving the way for switch-hitter Bryce Johnson’s first start since before the trade deadline.

Monday’s first pitch is at 6:40 p.m.

Monday night matchup. pic.twitter.com/aZWsyiF7Zx

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 18, 2025

Merrill rolled his ankle in his last at-bat on Friday, went 0-for-4 on Saturday and struck out in his first two at-bats on Sunday before he was pulled from the game.

Merrill discussed the injury in this story.

Ramón Laureano moved from left field to center on Sunday after Merrill’s exit. He’ll remain in left field on Monday but will bat fourth in Merrill’s absence.

Other than one start in the two-hole, Laureano has been entrenched in the six- and seven-holes.

Laureano is hitting .339/.403/.679 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 15 games since the trade deadline. His two home runs this weekend were the only longballs hit by the Padres in a weekend sweep in Los Angeles.

Facing left-hander Robbie Ray is presumably why neither newcomer Ryan O’Hearn nor Gavin Sheets is in Monday’s lineup despite Merrill’s absence, although both O’Hearn and Sheets had hits off left-handers on Sunday.

Instead, Manny Machado will serve as the DH, Jose Iglesias will play third base and Luis Arraez will serve first base and bat second.

Freddy Fermin is starting a fourth straight game behind the plate and batting seventh, the only time he hasn’t been the No. 9 hitter while with the Padres.

Jake Cronenworth will bat eighth and the switch-hitting Johnson will bat ninth in just his fifth appearance in a game since the trade deadline.

Johnson is 0-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored this month but overall is hitting .313/.365/.375 in 54 plate appearances with the Padres.

Here is how the Giants will line up for the opener of a four-game series:

Today’s #SFGiants lineup

Aug. 18 – SF at SD

Heliot Ramos – LF
Rafael Devers – 1B
Willy Adames – SS
Casey Schmitt – 3B
Wilmer Flores – DH
Jung Hoo Lee – CF
Christian Koss – 2B
Tyler Fitzgerald – RF
Patrick Bailey – C
Robbie Ray – LHP

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) August 18, 2025

Monday’s pitching matchup

Giants LHP Robbie Ray (9-6, 2.98 ERA)

An All-Star for a second time this year, Ray leads the NL with 56 walks but has 152 strikeouts in 148 innings in his first full year of action since 2022 (189 IP, 3.71 ERA). Ray is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA, 13 strikeouts and two walks in 13 innings this year against the Padres. He took the loss in last week’s meeting in San Francisco (6 IP, 4 ER).

Here is how Ray has fared against current Padres:

Padres LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 5.71 ERA)

He has a 2.89 ERA in 9⅓ innings since returning from a flexor strain, with both starts coming after the trade from Milwaukee to San Diego. Cortes, like Ray, is making a second straight start against an opponent as he struck out six against one walk while allowing a run in 4⅔ innings last week in San Francisco.

Here is how Cortes has fared against current Giant: