Padres can’t avoid lineup chaos with Jackson Merrill’s return

San Diego Padres v San Francisco Giants | Brandon Sloter/GettyImagesThe San Diego Padres should be thrilled at the thought of Jackson Merrill returning to the field. Their budding star center fielder has battled his way through a season littered with frustrating injuries and multiple stints on the IL, yet he’s still managed to be productive in his 91 games played. Merrill’s current line, .264/.317/.413 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs doesn’t leap off the page, but considering the stop-and-start nature of his season, it’s respectable.

The issue? It’s hard to ignore the nagging sense that 2025 has been a step back from his stellar rookie campaign. Merrill’s rhythm has been disrupted, his…