Machado on the mend, may not be ready for Opening Day…

Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles makes the assist against the Boston Red So in the 7th inning at Fenway Park on September 19, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to reports this weekend, Manny Machado will probably miss Opening Day.

It would not be surprising at all if he is placed on the disabled list.

Well, it looks like Machado has still not been able to run for nearly a week because of scar tissue that has appeared in is knee – the left one, which was operated on.

Aside from not being able to run, he’s been able to participate in everything else with his workouts.

Then again, Machado has not appeared in a game. Spring training is nearly halfway over and there may not be enough time in the schedule for him to get his reps, at bats, field time, and then be ready for the start of the 2014 season.

From the Baltimore Sun: “Certainly, it looks [like Opening Day is out]. I’m not there yet,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “I’m not going to throw that wet blanket over that yet. I know Manny’s not.”

Showalter said although it may seem ominous, the delay in running is a precautionary measure and something that can occur with these type of surgeries. He added that Machado seemed to be in good spirits on Saturday morning and that he could be "back in the flow" of his rehab program in the next few days.

“The way I understand it, it’s scar tissue that flared up and got a little sore and we decided not to push it, which is what we talked about all along,” Showalter said. “We are not going to push it to the point where it ends up being something. We want to resolve this. The trainers have talked to the doctors, you expect that [scar tissue release]. The surgery side, the knee and everything, feels great. That’s been the most encouraging part.”

-snip-

Although the Orioles still aren’t ruling out Opening Day, Machado is hoping to be re-evaluated by his surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, next week. Because he isn’t running currently and wouldn’t be able to be fully evaluated, that appointment won’t happen at least until after Tuesday, when ElAttrache returns to Los Angeles. It’s likely it will be later than that. A new appointment has not been scheduled, the club said.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-machado-hasnt-run-in-five-days-due-to-scar-tissue-discomfort-20140315,0,5696595.story#ixzz2wKGa3x34

If I were the Orioles, I would just place him on the disabled list and let him heal up a bit. He’s a face of the franchise, and its future.

There’s no point in rushing him back at all.

I would think that Ryan Flaherty or Alex Gonzalez (who has been playing well) could be suitable backups for a few weeks.

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