What's the sour cherry on top of the 2023 San Diego Padres' season? The fact that star Manny Machado might have to get offseason surgery for his elbow.
As first reported by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, there is a "possibility" that Machado could be shut down before the year is done. The third baseman has been dealing an ailment described as "tennis elbow", which is an inflammation of tendons caused by repetitive wrist and arm motions.
This season marks the second straight year Machado has suffered from tennis elbow, and in order to get rid of the problem once and for all, he may consider surgery this winter. Multiple sources told Acee that "there are certain swings that cause [Machado] a great deal of pain" and rest or rehab alone may not be enough to fix the issue.
Any offseason surgery shouldn't impact Machado's availability for the next Spring Training, but any kind of setback in his recovery could see the slugger experience a worse decline in 2024.
Padres: Manny Machado may consider offseason surgery for his "tennis elbow"
In the 2023 season, Machado has appeared to grit his way through the pain. With the Padres sitting 67-75 and seven games away from a wild card spot, it may not have been worth it.
In an uncharacteristically poor campaign, Machado has been slashing .253/.317/.453 with 26 home runs and 81 RBIs. Compared to his last three MVP-contending years, Machado has suffered a steep drop-off that runs parallel to the Padres' sagging season.
Even if the Padres miraculously earn a postseason berth this year, seeing Machado potentially exacerbate his elbow injury just for San Diego to exit in the Wild Card Series doesn't sound like a prudent long-term decision.
The Padres would do well to start treating Machado's injury as soon as possible, which starts with determining whether he should undergo surgery in the first place. After that, the Padres still have plenty of items to check on their offseason agenda if they're going to turn this year's disappointing squad into an NL West-dominating one.