What is Machado's health status?
Machado's subpar 2023 season (by his standards, at least) can be largely attributed to the fact that he played through serious elbow pain for most of the second half. That injury forced him to serve as DH down the stretch. Two days after the season ended, Machado underwent a right elbow extensor tendon repair to address the tennis elbow that had bothered him since '22.
The surgery put Machado's status for Opening Day in doubt, though manager Mike Shildt and general manager A.J. Preller each recently noted that Machado is progressing quickly. Earlier this month, Shildt told 97.3 The Fan that Machado has begun hitting and playing catch. That would seem to indicate that he's on a trajectory to be ready for the start of the season. We'll get a clearer indication once Spring Training begins.
Machado's recovery timeline appears to be quicker on the hitting side than the throwing side. So, it's entirely possible that the Padres would open 2024 the same way they finished '23 -- with Machado as their regular DH. Even if that's the case, it won't be long before the two-time Gold Glover is back at third.
What can the Padres expect from Machado in 2024?
If he's healthy? Another All-Star-caliber season. He’s still Manny Machado, after all. In a down year -- a year in which he played through an injury that required surgery -- he still hit 30 homers and notched a .782 OPS.
In each of the three prior seasons, Machado received MVP votes, and there's no reason to think he won't return to that level. Plus, health has rarely been a concern for Machado, who hadn't previously spent time on the injured list since 2014.
Perhaps the most pertinent question surrounding Machado in 2024 is his role as the team's de facto captain. The Padres fell well short of expectations in ‘23, and Machado -- fairly or not -- bore much of the blame publicly for the team's chemistry issues. In reality, that blame shouldn't have fallen so squarely on Machado. There was plenty to go around, and Machado is generally revered by his teammates for his work ethic and willingness to play through pain.
Of course, there's a simple fix to any lingering chemistry issues: winning. A healthy Machado -- one of the best players on the planet -- should help with that.