In the aftermath of a knee injury in late September, it appeared Orioles All-Star third baseman Manny Machado would avoid surgery. Instead, there's been a course change. The Orioles have announced that Machado needs surgery on the medial patellofemoral ligament of his left knee and that he's facing a four- to six-month recovery period.
The surgery will happen Monday, and six months from Oct. 14 is April 14, so if there are any setbacks, the start of next season is certainly in jeopardy.
Still, with a man as young and in shape as Machado, it's reasonable to think he comes in at the low end of the estimate and is ready for the start of spring training. In fact, in the press release, general manager Dan Duquette noted he expects Machado to be ready for the start of spring training.
"I will immediately begin the rehabilitation process in hopes of being ready for the start of the season," Machado added.
Machado, 21, hit .283/.314/.432 with 14 homers, 71 RBI, 88 runs and an AL-best 51 doubles this past season for the Orioles.
