Machado: "I'm just glad it's not as bad as we thought"

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado walked past manager Buck Showalter's office earlier today with crutches under his arm. He was carrying them. Machado didn't need any assistance walking into the auxiliary clubhouse this afternoon to meet with reporters and provide an update on his knee injury. He's encouraged and relieved that it's only a sprain, though he has no idea whether he will return on Aug. 27. "Honestly, I felt pretty good today," he said. "The last couple days getting better and better. That's where I am at right now. "Obviously, it's a great relief. Those are things that when it happens, things cross your mind and you think, you assume already the worst, but you really can't assume anything until you actually see the results and it's in front of your face. You have the doctor next to you helping you make those decisions. It was a relief." Machado underwent surgery on his left knee in October, the same one that buckled in 2011 as he ran from second to third base at Single-A Delmarva. The right knee gave out Monday night as he swung at a pitch, causing him to collapse at home plate and writhe in pain. "Obviously, you don't want to be in the positions I'm in right now, but it's all part of the game, part of life," Machado said. "Things you can't control. Those are the things you can't control. Those are things only God can control. I'm just glad it's not as bad as we thought and not as bad as it is. So, get it stronger, get back and keep running forward. "They're both freak accidents. I got over it. I got back up and I did what I needed to do and I got back out there. I've got faith in what I've got here. I've got good trainers helping me out to get back out there like they did before. We're just trying to get it right this time." Comfort comes in the experience gained from rehabbing past knee injuries. "Definitely," he said. "It's the same thing as if I go up there and know the pitcher is going to throw me a fastball or know the pitcher is going to throw me a curveball. You obviously want that advantage on your side. But going through one knee surgery already, I know what to expect, I know what I need to do. So, it's just going to help me out. Hopefully move this process quicker and just get after it, basically. "I know what I need to get done. I know I need to get stronger. I know what I need to do, so that's in my hands and I've just got to go out there and just get it done." Imagine the thoughts racing through Machado's head Monday night as he crumpled to the ground and pain shot through the knee. "I wasn't really scared," he said. "It was just, there's a lot of things going on through your mind, things that I can't explain. I can't tell you what I was thinking. Just a lot of thoughts going through your mind. "Obviously, you are on the floor. You don't want to be on the floor, You don't want to be in that situation, so it's just something that you don't want to be in that situation. That's what's going through your mind. Oh (crap), I'm back down. That's the first thing that came to my mind. But you know what? Been there, done, that. You've got to keep keep going forward, stop thinking about it. Put it in my past and continue. "I've still got, hopefully, a long career ahead of me and I'm still young, so put this behind us and continue playing, continue doing what I need to do and do what I've got to do to get back out there." How does Machado prevent either knee from giving out again? "Got to work harder," he said. "That's how I see it. Got to work harder to not get back into that situation. Now it's in my hands. It's something I've got to go and do. I've got to work harder than what I did. Guess I didn't work hard enough, so go out there and work harder and get back out there. "It's part of the game, it's part of the game. I can't... It's just part of it. I don't even know how to answer that. It's just part of the game. Obviously, you don't want anybody to get hurt, you don't want to twist the ankle. You don't want to go out there and blow your back. We play 162 games. We give what we need to give every day to try and help the team win. And in those situations your body gets banged up. Your legs, back, your body. It's just part of the game. You've just got to take care of yourself, I guess." Could Machado be ready on Aug. 27 when he's eligible to come off the disabled list? "Two weeks?" he asked, laughing. "Whenever I feel good. Whenever I feel good. Whenever I'm able to go out there and be Manny Machado. I don't know when that is going to be. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a month, it could be in three weeks. "It's something that, it's a feel thing. Docs said yesterday it's more of how you feel. Once you get out there, once I do what I need to do and then how you feel." Machado wants to be at full strength, with healthy legs, for the playoff run. "We're in a good situation here and I definitely want to be a part of it," he said. "I'm going to be a part of it no matter what. The best nine players got to be out there to play. Right now, I'm not one of them. I just got to get to that point where I can be back out there and help the team in whatever way I can." That includes offering tips on playing third base. Chris Davis has done it, but no one on the club besides Machado owns a Platinum Glove. "He knows what he needs to do," Machado said. "He's doing it. It just takes a little bit of time. I think he's going to be ready when we need him to be ready. Knock on wood we haven't needed him so far. He's coming. He's going to be a big part of this team. He is a big part of this team. "I'm going to be out there and helping everybody out just like how Wiety (Matt Wieters) is and how everybody else is on this team. We have something special here. We really do."