With about a month left in the regular season, the San Diego Padres are trying to claw their way back into playoff position while also managing a roster that’s starting to wear down. Manny Machado sits right in the middle of that balancing act.
Machado has taken on a heavy load all year, and the wear has shown up in a handful of places. According to Padres insider Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, Machado has dealt with injuries to his feet, calf, back, right finger and Achilles.
When asked about it, Machado didn’t exactly narrow things down.
“Everything,” Machado said to Acee. “All of the above. Choose.”
Even with all of that, he has kept playing and helping the Padres stay in the crowded National League race. His batting average has been a struggle, but the power has still been there.
Machado is hitting .214 with 24 home runs and 74 RBIs, along with a .701 OPS. If he keeps driving the ball the way he has, he could reach 30 home runs for the third time in the last five seasons.
Padres manager Craig Stammen also recently addressed Machado’s finger issue, and the tone sounded more cautious than alarmed. Stammen said Machado has a bruise on the inside of his index finger that gets irritated when he hits it off the end of the bat.
“He’s got a bruise right on the inside of his index finger, and it just irritates it every time he hits it off the end of the bat,” Stammen said. “ … They’ll take care of it. He’s got a little sleeve that he’s going to wear now, and hopefully it’s not something that lingers for very long.”
The Padres could try to lighten Machado’s workload as the season winds down, but that may be easier said than done. They’ve dropped multiple series after having been one of baseball’s hottest teams before this week, and those recent results have served as a reminder that there’s little margin left.
For San Diego, the equation is simple: Machado has to be in the lineup if the Padres are going to keep pushing for a postseason spot.
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