Manny Machado’s return date is uncertain

It was already bad enough that the San Diego Padres lost today’s series finale to the Kansas City Royals but more negative news came out of the clubhouse postgame. Manager Bob Melvin told the media that Manny Machado, who exited Monday’s game after getting hit in his left hand hand with a pitch, got a CAT scan and MRI that discovered a hairline fracture.

This news comes after Melvin said Monday night that Machado didn’t suffer any broken bones.

Melvin was hopeful Machado won’t have to end up on the Injured List but it appears that San Diego’s in wait and see mode. The good news is the 30-year-old told the media that the swelling had gone down and his range of motion had improved.

“It just depends on how he responds to it,” Melvin said in response to a question about if Machado could play through the injury. “Any time you have a fracture in there, it’s painful. It’s just kind of where it is and how he feels. We’re trying to give him a few more days to see what our decision is on that. He wasn’t going to play (Wednesday). He wasn’t going to play (until after) the off-day either way. We’ll just see where we are once we come back.”

Machado will have had Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off if he were to return Friday for the series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

“If it’s two days, if it’s a week, if it’s two weeks or six weeks, whatever. I’m not sure how my body is going to heal,” Machado said at his locker. “Just take it day by day, see what it is and hopefully come back after this off-day and it’s a lot better, and then maybe I’m back in the lineup.”

When Machado has been in the lineup it hasn’t been great this year. The six-time All-Star is hitting just .231 with a .654 OPS in 40 games this season.