Manny Machado Gruesome Knee Injury Ends Future Star's Season and Possible Wild Card Spot
Baltimore Orioles third baseman and future superstar appeared to have a season ending injury last night, which all but guarantees the team will be just missing the playoffs with a few games left, and a deficit in the wild card race.
Machado suffered a severe injury to his left knee or one of the ligaments around it running out a ground ball to first base. He was taken off the field in a stretcher.
It was a routine play of a slow roller to second base. Machado ran hard to first and looked as if he would beat the throw. The second basemen made an error on the play so Machado eased up and as he stepped on first he collapsed to the ground writhing in pain.
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The injury seems to have occurred on the step, and not on the actual run as his leg buckled awkwardly.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Machado had an X-Ray, and will also travel back to Baltimore for an MRI.
"Showalter said didn't want to play doctor regarding Machado injury. And didn't want docs offering opinion without MRI," Tweeted Roch Kubatko, a reporter who covers the Orioles.
The 21-year-old was having a stellar full first season in the big leagues, and had not missed a game all year as he made incredible highlight plays almost daily.
He is an integral part of the team's future and their first real star of the future at the hot corner since Cal Ripkin Jr. moved there in the 90s.
Machado had 14 homeruns and 71 RBI's with 88 runs scored with a .283 batting average and a league leading 51 doubles.
In the bottom half of that inning the Orioles lost their shortstop, Alexi Casilla, as well as he dove out to make a catch crashed head first into a teammate's knee knocking him out.
