Jacob Sisneros
2 min read • July 27, 2022
Posted in
Padres third baseman Manny Machado reportedly “tweaked” his previously injured left ankle while running out a grounder in Tuesday's extra innings win over the Tigers.
Machado missed 10 games after suffering a Grade 3 left ankle sprain on June 19, but any absence for this “tweak” would likely be shorter because no new damage was done to the ligaments.
With two runners on and no outs in the top of the 10th inning, Machado chopped a soft ground ball to Tigers' shortstop Javier Baez.
Baez's errant throw to first took the first baseman off the bag and Machado hit the corner of the bag while attempting to avoid the tag.
Machado remained in the game and later scored from second base on a two-out single, but appeared hobbled as he rounded third base and slid into home.
After the game, Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters that Machado tweaked his left ankle “a little bit” while running out the soft grounder in extra innings.
Melvin said the team will re-evaluate Machado Wednesday morning.
Our team of Pro Baseball Docs initially expected Machado to be out until after the All-Star break, but he was able to return June 30. His quicker-than-anticipated return was mostly because he and the Padres training staff were able to keep the initial swelling to a minimum.
However, the ligaments in his ankle are still likely not fully healed. In early July, our team of doctors detailed how Machado altered his swing after returning to put less pressure on his injured ankle.
He appears to be back to his pre-injury swing now, but is hitting .217 with 4 home runs, 8 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 22 games since returning. He also has 22 strikeouts so far in July, his highest total of any month this season.
In 22 games prior to the June 19 injury, he hit .264 with 4 home runs, 19 RBIs and 14 runs scored with just 16 strikeouts in 87 at bats.
San Diego's 23-year-old phenom shortstop is nearing a return from the left wrist fracture that has kept him out all season.
Tatis took full batting practice on the field Tuesday in San Diego for the first time since the injury.
In mid-July, the Pro Baseball Docs detailed why an early-August return is the most likely scenario for Tatis.
When news of the injury broke in March, the Pro Baseball Docs projected Tatis would be out between four-to-six months. That was longer than the team's initial timeline of “up to three months” because the scaphoid bone that he fractured is a notoriously slow-healing bone.
August 16 would mark exactly five months since Tatis had surgery to fix his wrist. He reportedly still has not had surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder that caused it to sublux five times last season.
The Padres placed top left-handed prospect MacKenzie Gore on the 15-day IL Tuesday with left elbow inflammation.
Gore exited Monday's relief appearance mid-at-bat after experiencing a drop in velocity and reportedly feeling discomfort.
While his exact elbow injury remains unclear, the injury throws a wrench into any plans the Padres had to offer him in a trade package for Juan Soto.
Dinelson Lamet was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to take Gore's spot on the roster.
Written by Jacob Sisneros
Fernando Tatis Jr. took full BP for first time since having wrist surgery 🙌 (via @dennistlin)
Here’s the play where #Padres third baseman Manny Machado “tweaked” his previously injured left ankle:
He remained in the game and scored on a two-out single a few batters later:
