Manny Machado's Short-Tempered Attitude Amidst Injury Reflects Padres' Clubhouse
If the fanbase of the San Diego Padres continues to be even more disappointed after every games and even go as far as to boo them off the field, one can only imagine how the players themselves are currently feeling.
Coming into the 2023 season, it looked like nothing short of a World Series trip would satisfy this clubhouse. However, here we are about a quarter into the year and the Friars sit at a 20-24 record and now may be without one of their biggest stars for an extended period of time, Manny Machado.
What Is Going On With Manny Machado's Hand?
Machado underwent an MRI and cat scan on Wednesday that revealed a hairline fracture within his hand. He first sustained the injury the previous day in the fourth inning of San Diego's match against the Kansas City Royals and even though he refuses to be placed on the IL, he is still day-to-day and it's unknown how this will affect his play.
The 30-year-old star infielder had a lot to say in a media session after he found out the results of his testing. Even before he became available for his interview, the Padres held a players-only meeting after their 3-4 loss and despite them keeping hush about their discussions, it's clear that they are growing impatient with their results.
Padres' Current Clubhouse State: Emotional... Very Emotional
Marty Caswell did her best to get Machado's reaction to the news of his hairline fracture and understand how he was feeling in the moment. It's safe to say he was not too thrilled and definitely did not appreciate being asked about it off the jump,
"Why are you asking me?," said Machado in response to question of what the current state of his hand is. "You already know the answer. How would you feel if you had a broken bone?"
(Via Marty Caswell)
It's no surprise that the 2022 NL MVP nominee reacted this way considering how the team performed in the two games without him. He is well-aware that he's been struggling this season with a .231/.282/.372 batting average and that the clock is ticking to turn things around.
Machado hasn't always had the best of exchanges with reporters in the past but he went on after to make it clear that San Diego needs to remember that no matter who they play, they must approach every game with the same mindset.
"Every time in the big leagues, they're in the big leagues for a reason," said Machado. "And every team can go out there every single night and compete and beat you. It doesn't matter if it's the best team, the most paid team or the lowest paid team in baseball."
(Via Marty Caswell)
Over the past two weeks, the reality of the Friars has been that they've had little bright spots to look back on. Team manager Bob Melvin has gone through numerous spills trying to motivate his guys to win and in large part due to the offense, that hasn't really happened yet.
Even though it's starting to sound like a broken record at this point, Machado recognized just how frustrated the clubhouse is right now but assures they're going to keep building their winning attitudes.
"We got to speak to you guys every single day," said Machado. "And it's the same things every single day. And for me to keep saying the same things, to trust the process, I think fans and people misinterpret it or are tired of hearing it. But it's baseball, it's 162 games."(Via Marty Caswell)
Off day for the Padres today folks. We'll see all of you on Friday for the next series against the Boston Red Sox.
