BALTIMORE — Back from his four-game suspension, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado acknowledged that some time off may not have been the worst thing for him in the big picture.
Despite no longer being the active major-league leader in consecutive games played when his 229-game streak ended on Sunday, Machado hopes to be able to make up for the missed games in October as Baltimore entered the weekend atop the American League East.
“I feel real good. Obviously, the days off really helped — I’m not going to lie,” said Machado, who was batting third in Friday’s series opener against Tampa Bay. “It takes a little pounding on your body, and I haven’t had some days off since the offseason. It was pretty good to just stay off my legs for a little but, but, at the same time, I was working. I was in the weight room and in the batting cages. I want to stay fresh.”
The Orioles went 2-2 in Machado’s absence and return to having a 25-man roster after grinding out several days with a short bench and less roster flexibility. However, Buck Showalter was sure not to overstate the importance of the 23-year-old’s return.
Though Machado has become the Orioles’ best player over the last couple seasons, the manager wasn’t about to express any sense of great relief to have the All-Star infielder back in the lineup. That would be a slight to the role his many teammates have played in getting off to a 41-30 start in 2016.
“If we’re depending on one player, we’re not going to get this done,” Showalter said. “Nobody liked it, and you just don’t dwell on it. I think that happens a lot during the course of a season. I’d like to know how many times we’re going to have the nine guys we thought we’d have actually on the field the whole season. It doesn’t happy very often.”
With Machado returning to the lineup and shortstop J.J. Hardy back after a seven-week absence due to a broken foot, the Orioles are moving closer to being at full strength for the first time since early May. They’ll need health and good fortune in their quest to qualify for the postseason for the third time in five years.
Machado spoke about wanting even more than that on Friday afternoon.
“My mindset is to take this team somewhere we’ve never been in a long time,” Machado said. “I’ve got to come back hot. This team is playing well.”
Joseph nearing return
Having already played in six minor-league games as a designated hitter, Caleb Joseph will catch in a game for the first time since May 30 in Frederick on Monday, the final step in his return from a serious testicular injury sustained from taking a foul ball to the crotch.
The 30-year-old said he has already cleared most mental hurdles by catching bullpen sessions and dealing with pitches in the dirt while wearing a new cup model he describes as “virtually indestructible.” One would think the fear of being hit with a foul tip might be another challenge to overcome, but Joseph said it’s impossible to react to such a play to even worry about flinching or not doing what he needs to do behind the plate.
“You cannot defend those; they are freak accidents,” said Joseph, who was not allowed to catch in a game for four weeks after undergoing emergency surgery. “If there was one thing I did or didn’t do that caused the incident, we might be looking at a different situation in terms of getting over it mentally. But it’s part of the game and you know that going into it. When you go back there, there is always a chance, so you need to go back there and be as protected as you can do to your job.”
Odds & ends
Standout reliever Darren O’Day felt good after throwing off a half-mound at Camden Yards on Thursday and will throw off the regular mound on Saturday as he continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury. … Long reliever Vance Worley (groin strain) will pitch in a rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie on Saturday. … Left-hander Brian Duensing underwent successful surgery to have two cartilage chips removed from his left elbow on Friday and will report to Sarasota to begin a rehab that could have him ready to return by early August. … Lefty T.J. McFarland was in the Baltimore clubhouse on Friday and is expected to be activated as the club’s 26th player for Saturday’s doubleheader. … Pitching coach Dave Wallace will be away for the next few days while bullpen coach Dom Chiti takes his place and minor-league infield coordinator Dave Anderson coaches in the bullpen. … The Orioles will travel to San Diego after Sunday’s game in order to benefit from a full day off without travel on Monday.
