Manny Machado out for the season
By Hayden Kane
In the end, the 2014 season will be one to forget for Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado. It started with a knee injury, will be known mostly for the incident in which he threw a tantrum and then threw a bat, and now it ends with a knee injury.
Bob Nightengale reports that Machado will require knee surgery and is done for the season.
Manny Machado definitely out for year; confident he'll be ready by #Orioles 2015 spring training. Made decision last night to have surgery
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 23, 2014
Manny Machado knew weeks ago he needed surgery but did everything possible to avoid it. Knee just never got better. #Orioles
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 23, 2014
Presumably that means Machado knew that he would require the surgery eventually, but was holding out hope that he could play through it without making things worse in the playoff run. That won’t be possible, and once again a feel-good season for the Orioles will end without their young star involved.
More from Baltimore Orioles
- Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
- MLB Rumors: Potential Braves reunion, Lance Lynn no-trade clause and Orioles deadline intentions
- MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan
- MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani, Angels, Dodgers, Rich Hill
- NY Mets: 4 monstrous trade packages for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer
A recent hot streak had elevated Machado up to respectable numbers for the season: through 82 games Machado batted .278/.324/.431. Especially significant was the emergence of his power from the right side, as he had 12 home runs and 32 driven in.
The Orioles got by without Machado for much of the first half of the season, but their electric young infielder was squarely in the mix as they charged to a more comfortable lead in the American League East. This injury stands to have a significant impact on the AL playoff picture, whether before the season ends or in the post-season itself.