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Padres fill Jackson Merrill’s roster spot with recent trade acquisition

Before their pivotal series finale vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres made a roster move. 

Infielder Will Wagner, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, was recalled from Triple-A El Paso, the team announced earlier today. He will take the roster spot of All-Star Jackson Merrill, who was placed on the 10-day injured list before Saturday’s game. The Padres acquired him at the deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for catcher Brandon Valenzuela. 

Now, Wagner could make his Padres’ debut vs. the Dodgers today at Petco Park in the last regular season meeting between the division rivals. Los Angeles already owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, but San Diego leads the NL West by one game. 

Wagner’s potential impact

San Diego made a whopping five deals at the Trade Deadline that involved 22 players on the move. According to Padres’ beat writer AJ Cassavell, Wagner gives the team “additional lefty-hitting infield depth.”

In 17 games at Triple-A El Paso, he slashed .270/.333/.405 with two home runs and 17 RBI. He played in 64 games with the Blue Jays across two seasons after making his MLB debut in June of 2024. 

Wagner was originally an 18th-round draft pick by the Houston Astros in 2021 out of Liberty. He was traded to Toronto midway through the 2024 season and proved to be a versatile defender for them, having made appearances across the infield at first, second and third base. 

Merrill suffered a left ankle sprain against the Dodgers on Aug. 15, but he wasn’t placed on the IL until Saturday.  

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