SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jackson Merrill is ready for his encore season.
“I’ve been ready since we stepped into the building for spring training,” Merrill said. “Maybe not like baseball-wise, but mind-wise, I’ve been ready to go. It wasn’t slow in spring training. Just had a few games where I didn’t feel too right. But then now it just feels like things are back.”
Aside from the one plate appearance the regulars will get in Monday’s Cactus League finale, Merrill on Sunday capped his second spring training as a major leaguer with his fourth home run in a 5-5 tie with the Diamondbacks.
He spoke afterward of this year being a different kind of learning process — one in which he had to get used to the routine of not playing routinely. He is the junkiest of baseball junkies, usually arriving at the ballpark before any other teammate and staying in the dugout until the end of almost every spring training game. So being an established big-leaguer this year and rarely traveling to away games in the spring was a foreign way to ramp up.
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Last spring, he played almost every day as the Padres got him ready to make his big-league debut at what was then his new position in center field.
“Last year was a completely different vibe,” he said. “But I’m kind of a little bit — not upset with myself, but I think I could have treated it the same as last year and maybe got a little more progress out of it. But to be honest, I feel like I’m just in a spot now where I’m getting better day by day. So it’s kind of nice to chill and build it up, because now I’m ready for 162 better than I’ve ever been.”
Merrill was an All-Star last season, won the Silver Slugger for National League center fielders and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and ninth in NL MVP voting.
He came into this spring knowing he would be batting third this season as opposed to the back half of the lineup. He aimed to be more selective at the plate and then did not walk once in 45 plate appearances.
“That was kind of annoying, but I was getting pitches to hit,” said Merrill, who batted .244 (11-for-45) and put 11 of his 34 balls in play at 101 mph or harder in Cactus League play. “I think I had long ABs, good ABs — some bad ones, but a lot of good ABs and a lot of good contact. I think a lot more power, a lot more barrel. When I hit it, it sounds a little different than it did last year.”
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Darvish update
Yu Darvish returned to San Diego and is expected to resume playing catch in the coming days.
The 38-year-old right-hander began experiencing elbow discomfort more than a week ago. His March 16 bullpen session was canceled, and he has not played catch since a brief turn throwing softly on Tuesday.
Darvish has been examined by Dr. Keith Meister, a renowned orthopedic surgeon. The Padres believe there is no ligament damage that would require surgery and that rest will be enough to get him back on the mound in relatively short order.
When Darvish returns, however, will be dependent on how he feels. And a team source reiterated Sunday the team’s plan has been to try to preserve Darvish for later in the season, so there will not be a rush for him to get back on the mound.
CBT watch
Once Yuli Gurriel ($1.25 million), Jose Iglesias ($3 million) and Martín Maldonado ($1 million) officially join Gavin Sheets ($1.6 million) on the 40-man roster, the Padres will be projected to be over the second Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $261 million.
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They would be taxed at a rate of 20% on the first $20 million by which they exceed the $241 million base CBT threshold and 32% for every dollar they are over the second threshold.
Teams are not assessed that tax until their CBT payroll is figured out at the end of the season, so the final number could change via any number of transactions.
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Two families were displaced from their Carmel Valley townhome after it went up in flames earlier this afternoon.
This happened just before 3 p.m. on Moratalla Terrace. Fire investigators said the fire started inside a garage unit because of faulty electrical equipment and robotics projects. One neighbor said she’s thankful for the quick response.
“The people that own the house were in the driveway calling 911, and within, I think within five minutes of me smelling the smoke the fire trucks were here,” said Nikki Briggs. I’m just thankful that everyone was okay, and that it didn’t keep spreading. Like if it would have been a wildfire, that would have been terrible.”
Firefighters say most of the damage was contained in the garage. A total of nine people were displaced by the fire. Five people lived inside the unit that burned. Thankfully all of them made it out safely without any injuries.
Shares of Gossamer Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOSS) have received a consensus ‘Hold’ rating from the 10 research firms currently covering the company, according to a report from MarketBeat. The average 12-month price target among analysts is $5.43.
Why it matters
Gossamer Bio is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing therapies for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, as well as oncology. The ‘Hold’ rating and mixed analyst views could impact investor sentiment and the company’s ability to raise capital for further drug development.
The details
The analyst ratings for Gossamer Bio include two ‘Sell’ recommendations, four ‘Hold’ ratings, and four ‘Buy’ recommendations. Some firms have lowered their price targets on the stock, with HC Wainwright decreasing its target from $10 to $5.
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Gossamer Bio released its latest quarterly earnings report on March 17, 2026.
The players
Gossamer Bio, Inc.
A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, California that is focused on developing oral, once-daily therapies for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, as well as oncology.
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The takeaway
The mixed analyst views on Gossamer Bio highlight the challenges facing the company as it seeks to advance its pipeline of drug candidates through clinical trials and regulatory approvals. The ‘Hold’ rating could make it more difficult for the company to raise capital and fund its operations.
Oceanside Harbor Beach. (File photo courtesy of @CityofOceanside via X)
A man apparent drowned in the waters near the Oceanside Pier Saturday morning, despite efforts by lifeguards and paramedics to revive him.
The Oceanside Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division and the Oceanside Police Department responded to a report of a missing man at about 4:30 a.m.. Officials said the man was last seen swimming in the ocean about a half-hour earlier.
Lifeguards and police immediately initiated a coordinated search effort using pier vantage points, surveillance cameras and watercraft, but the search was suspended at approximately 5:30 a.m. after no one was found, fire officials said.
“At approximately 10:50 a.m., lifeguards discovered an unresponsive adult male, matching the earlier description, in the water near Lifeguard Tower 12, at Oceanside Harbor Beach,” Division Chief Blake Dorse said in a statement. “The individual was removed from the water, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately initiated.”
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Fire and rescue personnel continued efforts to resuscitate the man on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He is believed to be the one who was reported missing near the pier.
Authorities did not release the man’s name.
“The Oceanside Lifeguard Division reminds the public to exercise caution when entering the ocean, especially during early morning hours or when lifeguards are not actively monitoring the water,” Dorse said. “Always swim near an open lifeguard tower and avoid entering the water alone.”
