With Manny Machado in question, Padres take aim at Cubs

Manny Machado might not be available for the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night when they vie for a series win against the visiting Chicago Cubs.

The All-Star third baseman left San Diego's 9-7 victory on Monday with a left calf injury. Machado, who was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs, was seen on Padres TV getting his calf rubbed by the team's training staff.

San Diego manager Craig Stammen said Machado exited the game as a precaution after Stammen saw how he came out of the batter's box on a groundout to end the sixth inning.

"Manny is fine," Stammen said. "He came out of the box a little awkwardly. We'll talk to him tomorrow and see how he feels, and we'll go from there."

If Machado does have to sit out, the Padres at least have the depth to make up for his absence in the short term. Ty France drove in four runs Monday night with a two-run double and two-run triple, while Nick Castellanos added a two-run single that put San Diego ahead to stay in the bottom of the fifth.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller didn't make many moves until February, but the additions of France, Castellanos and Miguel Andujar have bolstered the team's depth and lengthened a lineup that at times last year had too many holes.

"There's an unbelievable amount of talent in the lineup," France said, "so if everyone plays their game, we'll come out on top."

Right-hander Walker Buehler (1-2, 5.75 ERA) will try to bounce back from his shaky start on Wednesday night in Colorado. He absorbed an 8-3 loss, permitting four runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings, with three walks.

Buehler is 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA in seven career outings (six starts) against Chicago.

The Cubs will counter with right-hander Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.73), who's coming off a no-decision during his team's 8-7, 10-inning win Thursday against Philadelphia. He pitched seven innings, yielding five runs (three earned) on six hits.

Cabrera has dominated San Diego in three career starts, going 1-0 with an 0.54 ERA.

Chicago could use another good performance from Cabrera for multiple reasons. The team has lost three games in a row following a 10-game winning streak, and its bullpen is experiencing issues. Three relievers gave up four runs in the last four innings on Monday night, enabling the Padres to rally from a 5-3 deficit.

Phil Maton gave up two runs in the seventh inning in his first outing since April 7 in Tampa Bay. Right knee tendinitis, which contributed to a drop in his velocity, kept him out for nearly three weeks.

"I'm kind of hoping we addressed it now and we can focus on getting guys out for the rest of the year," Maton said.

The good news for the Cubs is their high-scoring offense was back in form Monday, getting a grand slam from Moises Ballesteros and becoming the first team to score off San Diego closer Mason Miller this season when they touched him for two runs in the ninth.

It was the first career slam for Ballesteros, who's hitting .387 with five homers and 16 RBI.

"I was really excited when I was rounding first," he said.

--Field Level Media