San Diego Padres superstar Manny Machado has been having an excellent season in 2022 but he may be looking at a stint on the shelf. During the first inning against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, Machado tweaked his ankle while attempting to beat out a ground ball. He appeared to be in significant pain and was taken off the field with the assistance of a pair of Padres' trainers, in what was a troubling sight for fans.

According to Kelsey Wingert, Machado was struggling to put weight on his ankle. He was on the ground for a while after twisting his ankle and needed help to walk off the field. He was ruled out after being pinch-run for by Sergio Alcantara.

Losing Machado for any extended period of time would be a critical blow for the Padres, who are gaining ground in the NL West, now just 0.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Machado has been enjoying an MVP-caliber season in San Diego, picking up the slack for the offense while Fernando Tatis Jr. is sidelined through injury.

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On the year, The Padres' 29-year-old is slashing .329/.401/.548 with 12 home runs, 46 RBI, 7 stolen bases, and an impressive 4.0 WAR. It will be near impossible to replace the production he's put up this season if he does require a stint on the IL.

Padres fans will need to keep their eyes open for a further update on Machado's status, as he'll surely be undergoing tests on the ankle to determine the severity of the injury. Hopefully, it's nothing more than a tweak and he won't be forced to miss significant time, though he won't be returning to Sunday's game after exiting in the first inning.