Manny Machado suffers a setback
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Not saying this setback is an enormous one, but Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has decided to forego a tentatively schedule Tuesday appointment. The appointment was to re-evaluate his surgically repaired left knee. This information comes from MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli.
Machado has been unable to run and yet to be cleared to play in games.
So what’s the issue? Here’s O’s skipper Buck Showalter (via Ghiroli).
"“The way I understand it, [the current issue is] scar tissue that flared up and got a little sore, and we decided not to push it,” Showalter said. “Which is what we talked about all along — we are not going to push it to the point where it ends up being something [worse]. We want to resolve this.“The trainers have talked to the doctors, you expect that [soreness]. [On] the surgery side, the knee and everything feels great. That’s been the most encouraging part.”"
The chances of Machado heading to Baltimore as part of the Opening Day roster are growing dimmer by the day, but Buck and Machado aren’t completely ruling that out yet. Showalter stated he will eventually ask the team trainer if the chances of Machado being on the Opening Day roster is but a “pipedream”.
With all the gruff the Orioles medical staff has taken this offseason, this situation could put the balance back to their side of the ledger. Of course, the organization has previously stated, as did Showalter just today, that it will not push a Machado return. Seems that it would be insanely difficult to explain if another, more substantial setback would occur under those circumstances.
Seeing as he’s only 21, the Orioles are surely making a correct and rational decision here. They certainly cannot endanger Machado’s career as he assuredly will provide O’s fans and the organization many more moments like this…