Baltimore Orioles burgeoning superstar Manny Machado, who is on the road to recovery after tearing his medial patellar ligament in his left knee during September 2013, is reportedly six-to-eight weeks ahead of schedule.
The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly provides the encouraging news:
On Jan. 9, manager Buck Showalter, via MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko, said he expects Machado back by Opening Day, and this news should only strengthen that belief:
That noise you hear is Orioles fans collectively rejoicing—there is perhaps no player more important to this organization than the 21-year-old third baseman.
Machado, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft, appeared in 51 games as a teenager in 2012, flashing some of his sky-high promise. But in 2013, he was incredible.
In 156 games, he led the league in at-bats (667) and led the AL in doubles (51) on his way to an impressive .283/314/.432 line with 14 home runs, 71 RBI and 88 runs scored.
Where Machado was truly breathtaking, though, was in the field. Often making plays like the one below, he showed why he was repeatedly mentioned in the same sentence as Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.
Machado's range and cannon-like right arm make him unlike any other player in the league, and it wasn't all that surprising when he beat out defensive stud Adrian Beltre for a Gold Glove in 2013.
According to Fan Graphs, Machado finished the year fourth in WAR for third basemen behind Josh Donaldson, Miguel Cabrera and Evan Longoria.
In other words, Machado is one of the brightest young stars and most enjoyable players to watch in the league. A healthy rehab and speedy return—which is exactly what now seems to be on the horizon—wouldn't only be great news for the Orioles. It would be great news for all of Major League Baseball.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
No comments:
Post a Comment