Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is in the team's lineup Thursday after going 0-for-3 in his spring debut the previous day while playing in his first game since August, masnsports.com reports.
"It's great to be back out there, great to get it rolling. It's fun to go get some [at-bats] and make some plays," Machado said Wednesday. "I was just excited to be back on the field playing and trying to get back into that rhythm. It's going to take some time, but it's good we're out there playing and running around."
When asked about the last time he was this excited to play baseball, Machado said, "I can't remember. I guess the day before I got hurt, or the day I got hurt. It was just overall a great feeling to get back out there and get in the groove of things and get out there rolling. I'm excited to get out there and get my at-bats and get where I need to be."
Machado was limited to 82 games last season and underwent season-ending knee surgery for the second straight year. He's in the leadoff spot Thursday so that he can receive extra at-bats.