[1]: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10076698-padres-manny-machado-placed-on-il-for-hand-injury-sucks-that-i-have-a-broken-bone “Padres’ Manny Machado Placed on IL for Hand Injury: ‘Sucks That I Have a Broken Bone'”
[2]: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/padres-place-manny-machado-on-injured-list-with-hairline-fracture-in-hand/ar-AA1bqANp “Padres place Manny Machado on injured list with hairline fracture in hand”
[3]: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/manny-machado-suffers-a-broken-left-hand/ar-AA1bm2We “Manny Machado suffers a broken left hand”
[4]: https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2023/05/20/padres-manny-machado-headed-to-injured-list-with-fractured-left-hand/ “Padres’ Manny Machado headed to injured list with fractured left hand …”
[5]: https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/injuries/an-injury-update-on-san-diego-padres-star-manny-machado “An Injury Update on San Diego Padres Star Manny Machado”
[6]: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/manny-machado-injury-update-padres-slugger-lands-on-il-with-small-hand-fracture/ “Manny Machado injury update: Padres slugger lands on IL with small hand …”

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How Manny Machado’s Broken Hand Could Doom the Padres’ Playoff Hopes

The San Diego Padres had high expectations coming into this season after reaching the NL Championship Series last year. They added some star power to their already potent lineup, including slugger Manny Machado, who signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with them in 2019.

But things have not gone according to plan for the Padres, who are currently fourth in the NL West, 8 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. And now they have to deal with a major setback: Machado has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a hairline fracture in his left hand.

Machado suffered the injury on Monday when he was hit by a pitch from Brad Keller of the Kansas City Royals. He tried to play through the pain, but it was too much to bear. He was diagnosed with a small fracture on Wednesday and will be out for at least 10 days, possibly longer.

This is bad news for the Padres, who need Machado’s bat and glove to compete in the tough NL West. Machado is hitting .231 with five homers and 19 RBIs this season, but he has been an All-Star each of the last two seasons and was runner-up in NL MVP voting last year. He is also a two-time Gold Glove winner at third base.

How will this injury affect the Padres’ playoff chances?

The Padres’ playoff chances were already slim before Machado’s injury, but now they are even slimmer. According to FanGraphs, they have a 12.4% chance of making the postseason, down from 16.9% before Machado went on the IL.

The Padres will miss Machado’s production and presence in the middle of their lineup. He is their second-best hitter behind Fernando Tatis Jr., who is also dealing with injuries of his own. Without Machado, the Padres will have to rely more on players like Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers and Jake Cronenworth, who are not as consistent or powerful as Machado.

The Padres will also miss Machado’s defense at third base. He is one of the best fielders in the game, with a career .962 fielding percentage and 14 defensive runs saved at the hot corner. Without him, the Padres will have to use Brandon Dixon or Ha-Seong Kim at third base, who are not as experienced or skilled as Machado.

What can the Padres do to overcome this injury?

The Padres are not giving up on their season yet. They still have some talent on their roster, and they hope that Machado can return soon and help them make a late push for a wild card spot.

But they will need some help from other sources as well. Here are some things that they can do to overcome this injury:

• Get healthy: The Padres have been plagued by injuries all season long, not just to Machado but also to Tatis Jr., Dinelson Lamet, Drew Pomeranz and others. They need their key players to stay healthy and perform at their best if they want to have any chance of catching up to the Dodgers or Giants.
• Get pitching: The Padres’ pitching has been decent this season, with a 3.77 ERA that ranks seventh in MLB. But they could use some more depth and quality in their rotation and bullpen. They could look for some trade options before the July 31 deadline, such as Kyle Gibson of the Rangers or Jon Gray of the Rockies.
• Get lucky: The Padres will need some luck to go their way as well. They will need their rivals to stumble and their own players to step up. They will need some clutch hits and some timely outs. They will need some magic and some miracles.

The Padres are facing a tough challenge with Machado’s injury, but they are not giving up hope yet. They still have some time left to turn things around and make a run for the playoffs. But they will need to act fast and act smart if they want to avoid being doomed by Machado’s broken hand.