The San Diego Padres are one of the top teams in the National League this season, and are close behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West. But the team sits 2.5 games back, and is running out of time to make up that ground.
After getting swept by the Baltimore Orioles and dropping a series to the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres are at an 80-67 record after winning the first game of a four-game Colorado Rockies series. While the division might be hard to secure, the Padres are still a playoff team.
Manny Machado, the Padres’ superstar and clubhouse leader, has been struggling lately and is one of the reasons for the team’s inability to catch the Dodgers. Heading into the final weeks of the season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic is urging the Padres to bench Machado and give him a rest amid his brutal slump as of late.
Padres urged to rest Manny Machado amid brutal slump
“It has not taken a professionally trained eye to notice that Machado is dragging at the plate and in the field.” Lin writes. “The veteran has consistently missed crushable pitches while continuing a gradual decline as a formerly transcendent defender.”
His struggles lately have culminated in a .188 batting average since August 1st across the last 38 games. His production has dipped significantly at the plate, as he was hitting .302 in the 109 games before August began.
Machado has played every game for the Padres this season, but based on his recent play, the Padres should look for a chance to rest Machado, even if it costs them a game in the race for the NL West. Wild card teams can still win the World Series, and the Padres shouldn’t run Machado down before October begins.
Of course, securing a postseason spot is important, and fighting for the NL West is also within the realm of possibility. For now, the Padres will play Machado every day despite the clear regression on display for the 33-year-old third baseman.
San Diego could look to get Machado some time off during the Rockies series, one they should be able to sweep even without Machado in the lineup. With an off day on Monday, sitting Machado for Sunday’s series finale would give the veteran two days of rest.
MORE: Padres’ Manny Machado sounds off on team’s ‘tough stretch’
But even then, the Padres are reluctant to take Machado out of the lineup, despite the clear signs of fatigue and regression offensively and defensively.
Machado himself also acknowledged that some rest would be nice, but only if the Padres secured a postseason spot by then. Despite the clear signs of fatigue, Machado and the Padres will continue to play the veteran as they aim for a postseason berth in 2025.
But amid their push to secure a postseason spot, the struggles of Machado, if he continues to play every day, are likely to continue.
“Machado has long been known to play through minor ailments and more significant injuries,” Lin writes, “but fatigue appears to be a larger factor at the moment.”
There isn’t much regular season left, and if the Padres can’t surpass the Dodgers, their postseason run will begin shortly after the regular season is over, making very little time for Machado to rest.
With Lin’s point on how much Machado has struggled since August 1st, and the clear signs of fatigue, the Padres need to find a way to rest Machado in some capacity. Whether it’s against the Rockies or another team, the Padres need to find a time to rest Machado, as a postseason run is more important than running Machado down in the regular season.
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