Orioles activate Manny Machado off disabled list, send down Steve Lombardozzi
Manny Machado will make his season debut after missing all of April. (Brad White/Getty Images)
After two days of rain delays, the Baltimore Orioles return to the field against the Pirates, and with one of their stars back to boot, as the team activated third baseman Manny Machado off the disabled list. He will reportedly not be in the starting lineup for the first game of the day but is expected to start Game 2. Steve Lombardozzi has been optioned down to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move, according to CSNMA’s Rich Dubroff. Machado had slowly been progressing through his rehabilitation following left knee surgery that resulted from a gruesome accident late last September.
The 21-year-old third baseman appeared in 156 games for the Orioles last season, leading the American League with 667 at-bats and 51 doubles before seeing his season cut short with just a few games to go. He hit .283/.314/.432 in his first full season in the Major Leagues, landing an appearance in the All-Star Game and taking home his first Gold Glove award. The stellar defensive play and offensive production cemented him as one of the top young players in baseball and a cornerstone of Baltimore’s hopes for the future.
JAFFE: What impact will Manny Machado's return have on Orioles?
Initial estimations suggested that Machado might be ready to go for Opening Day, but after he was slowed at the start of spring training, the team took a cautious approach to his rehabilitation. He continued strengthening the knee and abiding by the recommendations of team doctors before finally beginning a rehab assignment with their Class-A Frederick affiliate. In three games, he impressed at the plate, collecting eight hits in 12 at-bats, including five for extra bases (four doubles, one triple).
Jemile Weeks
