Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has been diagnosed with a torn knee ligament one day after being taken off the field on a stretcher, but could possibly be back to running as early as six weeks.
Machado's injury is apparently not as serious as it looked on Monday, when he was carted off the field during a road game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The All-Star's left knee buckled when he stepped awkwardly on first base
The Orioles announced Tuesday that Machado has a torn medial patellofemoral ligament -- not a more serious ACL or MCL tear, both of which could have sidelined him for months.
Estimated healing time for the injury is six-to-eight weeks, the team said.
Machado, 21, hit .283 with 14 home runs, 71 RBI, an American League-leading 51 doubles and a .314 on-base percentage in his first full major league season.
Prior to the injury, Machado had played in 207 straight games since his major league debut last year, including 156 this season.
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