Okay, so I was tinkering around the other day, flipping through some old baseball highlights, you know, just killing some time. And this clip popped up, I think it was Machado back with the Orioles. Made a slick play. Got me thinking, wait a minute… didn’t he play shortstop for a bit? My memory’s not what it used to be, honestly.
Digging into It
So, I decided to look into it properly. Fired up my tablet, started searching around. My first thought was, yeah, he definitely came up as a third baseman, Gold Glove talent right out of the gate. That part was clear in my head. But the shortstop question kept nagging me.
I started digging deeper. What I found was pretty interesting, actually. It wasn’t just a simple yes or no.
What I Found Out
Turns out, yes, he absolutely did play shortstop. It wasn’t his main gig for most of his career, but he definitely logged some serious time there.
- Early Days with the Orioles: I remembered this vaguely once I saw it written down. When J.J. Hardy got injured, Machado actually slid over from third to cover shortstop. He did that for a decent stretch. Pretty impressive flexibility, moving between those spots on the left side of the infield.
- The Dodgers Stint: Then there was that half-season he spent with the Dodgers back in 2018 after the trade. I recall that now. They specifically brought him in, and yeah, he played shortstop for them during their run to the World Series. Corey Seager was out, and Machado filled that hole.
- Back to Third: Of course, once he signed that big contract with the Padres, he went back to primarily playing third base. That’s where we see him most of the time now.
So, the answer was a definite yes, but with context. He wasn’t always a shortstop, but he sure did play there, and at a high level too, during different parts of his career.
It’s funny how you remember some things crystal clear and others get fuzzy. Player positions shift, guys move around. Keeping track of who played where and when… it takes a bit of digging sometimes. Glad I looked it up, scratched that itch. He’s definitely logged time at short. Solid player wherever you put him, really.
