Impact Machado has been nursing an injured ankle, but he returned from a nine-game absence Thursday to serve as San Diego's designated hitter against his former club. The veteran looked like he didn't miss a beat in his first at-bat, smacking a double to left field and coming around to score on a Nomar Mazara single. Things went downhill from there for Machado, however, as he struck out in each of his remaining three plate appearances. It's unclear how long he'll stick at DH before the Padres decide it's safe to put him back in the field, but Machado should be deployed in all fantasy formats as long as his bat is in the lineup.
JULY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE