Dodgers: San Diego Superstar Drove from Arizona to Play LA

Manny Machado drove from Arizona to reduce the swelling in his injured ankle and give himself the best chance to play on Thursday.

Every Dodgers-Padres series is great theater. They plan each other 19 times a year, but every game has an extra level of drama and excitement. The Dodgers took the Padres down in the NLDS en route to their 2020 championship, and after a rough 2021, the Padres are right back in the thick of the NL West race.

Friday night was the fifth game of the season between the two NL West teams. Tony Gonsolin twirled an eight inning gem, allowing just one run, while the Dodgers waited out a strong performance from Blake Snell to pounce on the San Diego bullpen. For the second night in a row, the Dodgers took down the Padres.

There's plenty of baseball left to play this year, but the midsummer matchup carries plenty of weight for the two squads at the top of the NL West.

So much so that MVP contender Manny Machado elected to drive from Arizona rather than fly in order to reduce the swelling in his injured ankle according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Annie Heilbrunn.

Instead of an hour-long flight from Arizona with the #Padres, Manny Machado drove to Los Angeles from Arizona (about a 7-hour drive) to keep the swelling in his ankle down. Wanted to give himself the best chance to play, and flying typically increases swelling in your body.

— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) July 1, 2022

Machado had missed the previous nine games with the injury, but made an immediate impact on Thursday night. He doubled in his first at-bat to score outfielder Nomar Mazara in the first inning and hand the Padres an early lead. The Dodgers would come back and go on to win 3-1.

On Friday night, Machado pinch hit in a key spot for San Diego, but was unable to get on base nor move Trent Grisham over from first.

Tyler Anderson is set at 4:15PM.