Manny Machado has tense exchange with reporter over Padres slump

Frustration appears to be building for Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres as the team’s offensive struggles continue to linger.

Following Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park, Machado had a tense postgame exchange with Friar Territory reporter Marty Caswell who asked about his disappointing season at the plate.

Padres star Manny Machado is hitting just .182 on the season, by far the lowest number of his career. Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

When asked if he had any analysis for his offensive struggles, Machado pushed back immediately.

“I’m a baseball player. I’m not a theorist,” Machado said. “You got something for me?”

The reporter continued pressing Machado about what specifically he was working on mechanically, but the Padres star made it clear he wasn’t interested in publicly discussing adjustments.

“I’m not going to tell ya,” Machado replied with a slight smile. “That is for me to work and continue.”

The interaction was awkward without becoming outright hostile, though Machado’s annoyance was obvious. And considering his production this season, the questions were inevitable.

Even after swatting a two-run homer against the Dodgers, Machado is batting just .182 with seven home runs and a .339 slugging percentage through 46 games. Those numbers are both career lows and are a major drop from last season, when the seven-time All-Star hit .275 with significantly more consistent power production.

To Machado’s credit, he hasn’t tried to shift blame onto the coaching staff despite growing criticism surrounding Padres hitting coach Steven Souza Jr.

“It’s the players,” Machado recently said. “The players on the field hit or don’t hit. We get the information, and then we do what we do with it.”

Despite his struggles, the Padres remain a half game outside of first place in the NL West.

The Padres have managed to stay competitive thanks to strong starting pitching and bullpen performances, but if San Diego hopes to seriously challenge the Dodgers in the NL West, they’ll need Machado and the middle of the lineup to eventually rediscover their form.