San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) has returned to the starting lineup on Thursday for the series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Mitch White. Machado will serve as the designated hitter and will bat second in his first game since Father's Day on June 19. The 29-year-old superstar has hit a red-hot .328/.400/.545 with a .945 OPS, 12 home runs, 46 RBI, 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 285 plate appearances over 66 games, and he should absolutely be returned to all starting lineups in single-year leagues against the Dodgers. Ha-Seong Kim will continue to man third base, and he's hitting eighth in the batting order on Thursday.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) will remain on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old is nearly 10 days removed from suffering an ankle sprain and he hasn't played since. On Tuesday, he continued to increase his pre-game workouts. He ran the bases, took grounders and threw to first without showing any noticeable pain. According to Padres beat writer Kevin Acee, it was the first time Machado looked like he was ready to play since he sustained the injury. Based on his increased work and Acee's report, it seems as if there's a good chance we see Machado back on the field for Wednesday's series finale. Make sure to be on the lookout for Wednesday's lineup card.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) took batting practice before Saturday's game but remains out of the lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old fantasy star is inching his way back to the starting lineup after spraining his ankle last Sunday. It seems like Machado will indeed end up avoiding the injured list, which is what the Padres were hoping for. If things go well, we could see Machado back in the starting lineup very soon, possibly even Sunday. Keep a close eye on his status in the coming days, and get him back in your lineup as soon as he returns.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Machado will miss his fourth straight game after spraining his left ankle on Sunday. The Padres have been optimistic that the 29-year-old superstar won't go on the injured list, fantasy managers have to wonder if will actually happen with each passing day that he's not back in the lineup. Machado is firmly in the mix for National League MVP in the first half of the season, as he's hit .328/.400/.545 with a .945 OPS, 12 home runs, 46 RBI, 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 66 games. Sergio Alcantara will play the hot corner and bat ninth on Thursday against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. Alcantara has just 14 hits and one long ball in 84 at-bats this year and is a DFS option to avoid.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Machado hasn't played since suffering a sprained left ankle on Sunday in the loss to the Colorado Rockies, but the Padres remain optimistic that he won't need a stint on the injured list. Ha-Seong Kim will start at the hot corner and hit fifth, while rookie C.J. Abrams is starting at shortstop and batting ninth on Wednesday against Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Machado is in the running for National League MVP so far in the first half of the season and is a must-start once he returns from his injury. Kim's season-long numbers don't impress, but he's hitting .333 in the last two weeks and has been much better against left-handers in 2022.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado helped the team defeat the New York Mets 7-0 on Tuesday. He went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the game. The 29-year-old has been struggling a bit at the plate over the past few weeks. He has just one home run over his last 14 games dating back to May 22. Prior to that stretch, he was hitting .358/.430/.576 on the year, but his recent struggles have seen his season-long slash line drop to .325/.399/.534. Machado has nine home runs, 34 RBI and 38 runs over 54 games on the year and he currently has a career-high .400 wOBA that ranks in the top 5% of the league.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) is back at third base and is hitting second on Monday against St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Packy Naughton. Machado had missed the team's last two games with tennis elbow, but he's back in the lineup to begin the new week. Fantasy managers need to get the 29-year-old superstar back into all lineups. Machado has been a front-runner for National League MVP honors early in the season with his .357/.438/.583 slash line, 1.021 OPS, eight home runs, 27 RBI, 35 runs scored and seven RBI in 168 at-bats. His .357 batting average, .438 on-base percentage and 199 OPS+ lead the league.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) is expected to return to the starting lineup on Monday, according to head coach Bob Melvin. He missed the final two games of the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to elbow soreness. The 29-year-old has been on fire at the plate, so luckily this was only a minor injury. Fantasy managers should check back on Monday, but it sounds like Machado is ready to return to the lineup.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) is not in the lineup on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Machado missed Saturday's game as well with elbow soreness so another day off was to be expected for the 29-year-old. The elbow issue is not considered to be serious but Machado will remain day-to-day for the time being. Ha-Seong Kim, who went 2-for-5 with a double in Saturday's contest, will make another start at third base for the Friars against rookie hurler Roansy Contreras.

San Diego Padres' third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) was absent from Saturday's lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to tennis elbow. The 29-year-old received the day off on Saturday and is considered day-to-day. His elbow issue doesn't appear to be long-term, and Machado should return to the lineup soon. Machado is off to a terrific start in 2022, slashing .357/.438/.583 with eight home runs, 27 RBI, 35 runs, and seven stolen bases over 45 games 2022. Ha-Seong Kim started at third base and batted second in Saturday's game. Kim is mainly an option in deep-league formats after slashing .215/.304/.377 over 148 plate appearances in 2022.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 2-for-5 with two singles and a strikeout in the team's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Machado has cooled off a bit since his scorching hot start to the year. He's only recorded one extra-base hit (a double) over his last 11 starts and he's slugging .483 in May, down from .614 in April. Still, the slugger has a gaudy .355/.432/.560 slash line on the season with seven home runs, six stolen bases, 23 RBI and 27 runs.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has been one of the best hitters in the majors thus far this year. He's currently leading the MLB with a .383 batting average and his 1.085 OPS ranks second in the majors behind only Mike Trout (1.188). Machado has reached base in 21 straight games, with at least one hit in all but three of those games. He's sporting a career-high 12.2% walk rate, up from his career walk rate of 9.1%. The 29-year-old looks well on his way to another elite fantasy season. He'll look to stay hot as the team travels to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves this weekend.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado had a pair of productive offensive games in the team's doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. In Game 1, he went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and two RBI. In Game 2, he was hitless in four at-bats, but he walked, stole a base and scored two runs. The 29-year-old is off to a fantastic start to the 2022 season. Over 25 games, he's slashing .365/.436/.594 with five home runs, five stolen bases, 18 RBI and 23 runs.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has been among the hottest hitters in the game to start the season, slashing .358/.433/.623 through his first 59 plate appearances of 2022. He's been even better over his last seven games, with four multi-hit performances, three homers, and two steals in that span. Machado has only reached double-digit steals three times in his career, but he's always had the ability, and a commitment to the running game could greatly increase his fantasy value, even from his elevated ADP.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado helped pace the offense on Thursday, going 5-for-6 in the club's 12-1 win over the Braves. The right-handed slugger picked up four singles and added a two-run homer off William Smith for his first of the campaign, finishing the night with four runs and two RBI. He had a chance for a sixth hit, but ultimately flew out to center field as he's now hitting .344 on the young season with eight runs, five RBI, and three stolen bases. Machado is paying back early dividends for managers who selected him in the second or third rounds of drafts as he looks on track for another stellar fantasy season.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado picked up a pair of hits, including a double, during Saturday's 5-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He added a walk, two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base to his day. Machado's now slashing .250/.357/.333 across the first three games of the season. The 29-year-old was viewed as one of the top fantasy third basemen coming into the year with an ADP of 21 after an all-around productive season in 2021. Over 153 games, Machado hit .278 with 28 HRs, 12 SBs, 106 RBI, and 92 runs scored. His stolen base Saturday signals he wants to continue running at least a little bit, so he should once again provide fantasy managers with the coveted power/speed combination.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (back) is in the starting lineup for Monday's Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox and is hitting second. Machado took two days off while battling back tightness, but he's fine now and will return to spring action. So far in the Cactus League, the 29-year-old is 2-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback, he'll be good to go for Opening Day as the Friars starting third baseman. Machado is one of the best all-around hitters in baseball and is ranked No. 22 overall in fantasy at RotoBaller. The five-time All-Star hit .278/.347/.489 with 28 home runs, 106 RBI, 92 runs scored and 12 steals in 640 plate appearances over 153 games last season.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado was scratched from Saturday's Spring Training lineup due to back tightness, the team announced. Although no additional updates were provided, it's very possible that Machado's removal from the lineup was merely a precaution. Last season, he slashed .278/.347/.489 with 28 homers, 106 RBI, 63 walks, 102 strikeouts, and 12 stolen bases. He ranked near the top of the league in exit velocity, hard-hit rate, barrel rate, xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, and outs above average. As of now, Machado is listed third among third basemen in RotoBaller's fantasy draft rankings.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado will make $30 million in 2022 in the fourth year of a 10-year, $300 million deal. Machado earned his fifth All-Star selection, and first as a Padre, last year after hitting. .278/.347/.489 with 28 home runs, 106 RBI, 92 runs scored, 12 steals, 63 walks and 102 strikeouts in 153 games (640 plate appearances). His 93.1 mph average exit velocity was second, behind only Fernando Tatis Jr., and was the best of his career. Machado had a career-best hard-hit rate (52.2%), which ranked fourth in the National League. Along with some of the best power in the game at a very shallow position, Machado should also give fantasy managers a nice batting average because of his ability to make plenty of contact. The 29-year-old is coming off the board in the early rounds of fantasy drafts, and he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 3 third baseman.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado wrapped up another solid season in 2021, compiling a .278/.347/.489 slash with 28 homers, 12 stolen bases and 198 runs-plus-RBI over 640 plate appearances. Despite the Friars cratering in the second half, Machado remained a reliable force in the lineup, placing third in the NL with 106 RBI while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. With seven years remaining on his contract, the 29-year-old should again co-lead the Padres with star shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. in a bounceback 2022 campaign. One of baseball's most consistent players, Machado should again settle as a top-5 hot corner option in offseason fantasy drafts.