Jun 5, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) leaves the game with an injury in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Padres Get Good News on Manny Machado Injury

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI | Last updated Jun 10, 2024 3:08 PM ET

Manny Machado is making his return to the San Diego Padres' lineup.

Machado, who left the team's June 5 game with a hip injury and has made just one pinch-hit appearance since, will be back in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Oakland Athletics. Padres manager Mike Shildt revealed the news on SiriusXM radio on Monday morning.

"Today, he's gonna be in the lineup," Shildt said. "He'll be in the DH spot to make sure we limit the load on his lower half. And then we'll evaluate on how he feels and get input from him and medical on how to move forward."

Mike Shildt: "Today (Manny Machado) will be in the DH spot to make sure we limit the load on his lower half."#Padres | @Padres
https://t.co/6YbqEWG3tX pic.twitter.com/k3AXrOOig3
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 10, 2024

The 2024 season has been a struggle for Machado, but he was just starting to put things together offensively before the injury. Heading into the June 5 game, Machado had hits in 15 of his last 17 games, and was hitting .344 with an OPS of .912 in that time.

On the year, Machado is slashing .248/.311/.374 with six home runs, 32 RBIs and a .685 OPS. That OPS would be by far the lowest of his career, as he's never had an OPS below .700 in a full season in his career.

The Padres will hope Machado can pick up right where he left off before the injury. They'll be careful with his workload, though, as they look to keep him healthy for the remainder of the season.

The Padres enter Monday's game at 34-35.

This article first appeared on San Diego Padres on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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