Machado has a small fracture in his left hand

SAN DIEGO – Things went from bad to worse because of the Padres offense on Wednesday.

Third baseman Manny Machado has been diagnosed with a fractured metatarsal bone in his left hand after he was hit by a pitch Monday night. Initial x-rays were negative, but further tests revealed what manager Bob Melvin described as a “small fracture”.

It’s not clear if Machado will require time on the disabled list, and he will be re-evaluated on Friday after Thursday’s day off.

“I’m not sure how my body will heal,” Machado said. “So you have to take it day by day and see what it is. I hope to come back after this day and be much better.”

Both Melvin and Machado expressed some optimism that Machado could avoid a trip to the disabled list. Machado, of course, takes pride in his health and hasn’t spent a day at IL since 2014. But he acknowledged that the nature of this injury is different and that a potential trip to IL could be out of his control.

Machado was injured when he was hit to his left hand by a slider by Brad Keeler in the Padres’ win over the Royals on Monday. After staying briefly in the game, Machado was called up and was not in the lineup for Tuesday and Wednesday losses.

But in that time, Machado reported some notable progress.

The right sputum revealed “the swelling has gone down a lot.” “I definitely have more range of motion today.”

It’s a real blow to the Padres, whose offense has been underperforming for most of the year. Machado was among those who struggle when eating. He had posted a streak of .231/.282/.372 in 40 games.

With that said, Machado is one of the most intimidating hitters in baseball when he’s at the top of his game. It’s a huge loss for a club that ranks in the top 10 in most offensive categories, despite high expectations.

“All teams have major hits and injuries,” Melvin said. “We have enough key players to be able to beat it. We just don’t.”

The Padres lost their first two games without Machado against the last-place Royals, including a dismal 4-3 loss Wednesday afternoon in which the offense left 12 players on base.

“It’s definitely a difficult period for us,” said Machado. “I definitely want to be there trying to help this team win anyway. It’s annoying. It’s annoying. It’s not ideal for us right now.”