Houston Astros infielder Dixon Machado left a Grapefruit League contest early on Wednesday after apparently injuring his knee coming into third base. He was unable to continue running towards home plate but walked off the field under his own power. The 32-year-old is on a minor-league deal with the Astros after most recently appearing in the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants in the 2022 season when he made just 17 trips to the plate. He has spent the bulk of his big-league time with the Tigers from 2015-2018 and is the owner of a career .226 average with two homers and three stolen bases across 522 plate appearances. He also spent two seasons in the KBO between 2020 and 2021.
The Houston Astros have signed infielder Dixon Machado to a minor-league deal according to the team's official transaction log. Also, per the Astros' official transaction log, the American League West club invited him to spring training. Machado appeared in 17 games for the San Francisco Giants last season, collecting three hits, a walk, and a run scored. He hit .291 with a .372 on-base percentage, six home runs, and 10 stolen bases in 522 plate appearances split between the Triple-A affiliates for the Giants and Chicago Cubs. He'll provide the Astros with some infield depth in 2023 after returning starters Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Jeremy Pena.
The San Francisco Giants have acquired shortstop Dixon Machado from the Chicago Cubs. In exchange, the Cubs will receive right-handed pitcher Raynel Espinal from the Giants. This was a desperation move for the Giants who are without a shortstop on their active roster. Both Brandon Crawford (knee) and Thairo Estrada (concussion) are sidelined. Machado is hitting .312/.402/.394 with two homers and ten steals in Triple-A this season. He is expected to start at shortstop until Crawford or Estrada are ready to return. He's not expected to start for longer than a week, so most fantasy managers can ignore this move. As for the Cubs, Espinal is posting a 5.29 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 102/38 K/BB in 18 starts at Triple-A. The expectation is that he'll continue to be depth in the minor leagues.
