Orioles' Machado opts for knee surgery
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado decided to have surgery to repair ligament damage in his left knee, the team announced Thursday.
After consulting with several doctors, Machado will go ahead with the procedure, which will be performed on Monday by Dodgers orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles. Machado tore the medial patellofemoral ligament while running to first base in a Sept. 23 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The recovery time is expected to be four to six months.
Machado had hoped to avoid surgery. He met with Orioles team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens and with specialist Dr. James Andrews, who both recommended rest for the knee.
"I sent my MRI results to a couple of doctors and knee specialists and we decided that in the long run and for my future as a baseball player, this surgery would be the best plan," Machado said in a statement. "I will immediately begin the rehabilitation process in hopes of being ready for the start of spring training."
Machado, 21, hit .283 with 14 home runs and 71 RBIs this season.
"After conferring with several doctors, Manny has elected to have surgery to repair his left knee. He has the full support of the Orioles organization with this decision and we look forward to seeing him back on the field in Sarasota (for spring training) at full strength," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement.
The Orioles also announced that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen had surgery last week in Vail, Colo., to remove small bone spurs from his right knee. He is expected to be ready for spring training.
"Wei-Yin had a procedure done on his right knee that should prevent him from future discomfort in the knee. The recovery period is three to four months so we do not expect him to miss any time during spring training," Duquette said.
