Manny Machado's MRI on his sprained right knee was originally scheduled for 10 a.m., but the MRI machine wasn't cooperative so they had to wait until this afternoon to have it done. J.J. Hardy, whose sprained left thumb hasn't improved, also had an MRI today. The team is waiting on the team doctor to read both sets of results.
It's been frustrating to wait for a diagnosis, but hopefully we'll hear something very soon. It's been assumed that the best-case scenario for Machado will be a trip to the 15-day DL and not much more, but Hardy has been day-to-day with his thumb injury. If both end up going onto the disabled list it will spell trouble for the Orioles in the left side of the infield. Ryan Flaherty has been filling in for Hardy at shortstop, but he is also the best defensive replacement for Machado at third.
As long as Hardy is out, Flaherty will be at shortstop. To replace Machado, the Orioles could promote Steve Lombardozzi to play second base and move Jonathan Schoop to third, but his defense there has been shaky. Jimmy Paredes has been playing 3B for the Norfolk Tides, but his bat leaves a lot to be desired. And I think it's fair to say that few people want Chris Davis getting regular playing time at third base unless it's a last resort.
If Machado's MRI returns a more dire result and he'll miss most or all of the rest of the season, the Orioles might need to look outside the organization for someone to fill the void. But we'll leave that speculation for after the MRI results are announced, if it's needed.