Quick take on Manny Machado, prospect news and another AL East injury

A few thoughts and observations on the Orioles and another pitching injury as I count down the hours unitl my flight leaves tomorrow for spring training:

* It was just one midweek exhibition, but Manny Machado looked in midseason form against the Yankees yesterday. He was spraying line drives all over the field and making plays all over in the field. The arm - well, let's just say there are no worries about that.

A return to All-Star form by Machado would be so huge for the Orioles. While most are concerned right now with how he bounces back from his second knee operation, the 22-year-old from south Florida reminded us again of his immense talent.

It looks like we could be in store for a Machado season as good as, if not better than his 2013 season. In 2013, he hit .283 with 51 doubles, 14 homers, 88 runs, 71 RBIs and a .746 OPS.

He made the All-Star team, finished ninth in the American League MVP voting and won Gold and Platinum Gloves. All of this talent and he won't turn 23 until July 6 and isn't even arbitration-eligible yet.

In a division that features some real talent at the third base position, it looks like the Orioles won't have to take a back seat to anyone.

* MLBPipeline.com has released its list of the Orioles' top 30 prospects. Here is the top 10:

1. Dylan Bundy
2. Hunter Harvey
3. Christian Walker
4. Zach Davies
5. Chance Sisco
6. Tim Berry
7. Mike Wright
8. Tyler Wilson
9. Pat Connaughton
10. Mike Yastrzemski

Dariel Alvarez and Henry Urrutia were not eligible to be ranked on this list. That is because their signings didn't count toward the international pool, so they are considered the equivalent of a foreign big leaguer by MLBPipeline.com.

* We talked here the other day about pitching injuries around baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays suffered a big one on Tuesday when they announced that young right-hander Marcus Stroman has a torn ACL. He is expected to miss the entire 2015 season.

That is a big blow for a Blue Jays team that is gearing up to try to dethrone the Orioles as American League East champs.

Stroman went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 130 2/3 innings last year, with 7.6 strikeouts and just 1.9 walks per nine innings. A lot was expected this season from the Duke product.

"It's terrible news," Toronto manager John Gibbons told Sportsnet. "It's terrible for the kid - he's going to lose a year - and it's tough for the team. He's one of our go-to guys. He really came into his own last year and we expected him to have a big, big year. It's unfortunate, but we have to move on. It opens up an opportunity for somebody else. Professional sports can be a cruel business, but I'm sure he'll bounce back as strong as ever and go on to have a great, great career."

For now, the Blue Jays say they will fill Stroman's spot internally with pitchers Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris and Marco Estrada apparently competing for two spots. Johan Santana, who was in the Orioles organization last season, is now with Toronto as well.

Orioles fans may remember when tempers flared last Sept. 15 with Stroman on the mound in Baltimore. He threw a pitch that almost hit Caleb Joseph in the head.

Joseph had been involved in a play at the plate that angered Jose Reyes and the Blue Jays in the fifth inning. Stroman then threw one that buzzed his head in the last of the sixth.

"There is life outside of baseball," Joseph said that night. "I have a wife and baby on the way. Those are the type of things that go through your head when that kind of stuff happens. Glad it didn't hit me.

"Yeah, there is a code. Every baseball player knows there is a code. I'm not here to judge intent or any of that stuff. I'm just glad it didn't hit me. We're just trying to win the game. At that point, a win is better than any kind of retaliation you can have."