Manny Machado Not Ready to Say He'll Be Able to Play in Padres' Opening Series in Korea

Manny Machado is still not sure if he will be ready to go for the San Diego Padres opening games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, Korea. The Padres-Dodgers Seoul Series is now less than a month away, with the games taking place on March 20 and 21.

Machado is returning from right elbow extensor tendon surgery that he got after the 2023 season.

The 31-year-old infielder provided an updated on his status as the Padres head into their second week of Cactus League games.

“It’s far. It’s three weeks. I’ve still got a bunch of at-bats to get through and a lot of obstacles to hurdle over. It was a good day today. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow. It’s not really about what I can do out there. I can swing, I can throw. It’s just a matter of how you bounce back from it.”

Via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune

The Padres would love to have Machado back by then, but they obviously don't want to rush him for two regular season games.

There's been a constant belief that Machado could be ready to DH and not play third base, but Machado is not ready to proclaim anything for sure.  

Machado has made progress by making his first Cactus League appearance this past Saturday. He earned his first at-bat of the season, but is still not back to practicing in full.

In 2023, Machado hit .258 with 30 home runs and 91 RBIs. A six-time All-Star and two-time All-MLB first-teamer, Machado has a career batting average of .279 with 313 home runs.