Manny Machado injury update: Padres slugger could be shut down as playoff hopes die, per report

The San Diego Padres have been one of the most disappointing teams of this Major League Baseball season. The Padres enter Saturday with a 67-75 record, putting them seven games back in the National League wild-card race with 20 to play. Factor in how the Padres are stationed behind three other teams, each in better position, and it would take a miraculous run for them to reach the playoffs.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Padres are weighing shutting down third baseman Manny Machado for the rest of the season so that he can manage his “tennis elbow,” according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Here’s more on the possibility, courtesy of Acee:

While Machado has been able to manage the pain and has proved reluctant to miss games, multiple sources said there are certain swings that cause him a great deal of pain and acknowledged it is possible his season will be cut short.

Acee adds that Machado also dealt with this issue last season, and that he might require offseason surgery as a result. Machado has not played the field since Aug. 31 as a means of avoiding throwing and making the matter worse. (The Padres have alternated playing Ha-Seong Kim and Matthew Batten at second and third base.)

One way or another, the 31-year-old Machado is nearing the completion of the first season of his 11-year extension with the Padres. In 126 contests, he’s hit .253/.317/.453 (113 OPS+) with 26 home runs and 81 RBI. His contributions have been worth an estimated 2.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference’s calculations. That’s his lowest figure since 2019, or his first season as a member of the Padres organization.