Machado cleared to play tonight

Shortstop Manny Machado has been cleared to play tonight for Single-A Frederick after leaving last night's game with tightness in his hip flexor. However, it hasn't been determined whether he'll be in the starting lineup. Machado made a leaping throw in the hole last night and landed awkwardly. He left the field with the Keys' head athletic trainer, bringing more angst to an organization that lost him earlier this season to a dislocated knee cap while he played at low Single-A Delmarva. Machado is batting .237 with two homers and eight RBIs in 17 games at Frederick. I just finished the "Wall To Wall Baseball Show" on MASN. I wasn't able to pass along word of J.J. Hardy agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the Orioles, as first reported by The Sun, but Steve Melewski filed a report in his blog. I applaud the Orioles' decision to lock up Hardy for three more years, though I'm aware that he's only played 140 games in two of his first six major league seasons, and he missed a month this year with an oblique injury. Durability is a consideration when analyzing this signing, but Hardy has been everything that manager Buck Showalter wanted in a shortstop. Machado is probably at least two years away from the majors, and there's no guarantee that he'll ever make it. Hardy is here and he's an excellent fielder who also hits for power. He plays the game the right way. And he's been playing it very well.