Machado's MRI reveals right knee ligament sprain

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles announced Tuesday night that Manny Machado has been diagnosed with a right knee ligament sprain after an MRI taken earlier in the day. Machado was not available for an interview -- with most of the team's players gone given the rainout -- and the Orioles said an update on his condition will be provided on Wednesday.

Speculating any kind of timetable for Machado, who exited Monday night's game with the injury, is impossible at this point without any more information on the extent of the sprain and where the damage is. At this point, the Orioles are still gathering information and trying to determine whether Machado will go to the disabled list.

Machado, who was originally slated to have the MRI at 10 a.m. ET, had some issues with the machine being down and had to go to another facility along with shortstop J.J. Hardy, who had an MRI on his left thumb. Hardy's MRI confirmed his sprain, and the team hopes to have him back later this week, according to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette.

An X-ray taken on Machado on Monday night came back negative, and manager Buck Showalter -- who knew a little bit more than he let on to reporters on Tuesday -- said he felt optimistic but was still waiting to find out what the doctors thought.

"I haven't heard anything negative," Showalter said of Machado, who had the MRI around 2:30 p.m. "Manny seems to be in good spirits. That's good. So we'll see what the day brings."

Showalter said the team has hotel rooms for both Hardy and Machado for Friday's game in Cleveland, but that could certainly change. Hardy was diagnosed over the weekend with a left thumb sprain and has missed the past two games, putting the Orioles' left side of the infield in serious jeopardy.

"I like the fact that he was a tad better today," Showalter said of Hardy, who sustained the injury to his non-throwing hand on a slide at home plate on Saturday. "He came in with the same feeling again. When you got that thing in a splint all night long, you are going to have some stiffness when you take it off. Even Manny, I've been real pleased with their body language today if there is such a thing."

Machado's injury was sustained in the third inning of Monday's 11-3 win over the Yankees on a broken-bat ground-ball swing that sent him writhing in pain to the ground and forced his exit. The 22-year-old All-Star was in relatively good spirits afterward and was able to hobble around without crutches when speaking with the media.