DETROIT -- Dixon Machado was already prepared. At Thursday night’s game for Triple-A Toledo, he had one bag packed for home and one bag in case he got called up to the big club.
As it turned out, the latter bag was the one he needed.
The 23-year-old infielder got the call during the Mud Hens' rain delay against the Louisville Bats on Thursday night. Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias left the parent club's game with an injured right middle finger, and Machado was needed in Detroit for Friday’s game against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park.
He’s hoping this stint provides him the opportunity to prove he belongs.
“I hope so, yeah,” Machado said. “Those are the steps that you’ve got to pass through. Maybe I’m going to play more games than I used to, than I did before. I feel like it’s going to be more chances this time because it’s going to be a longer period of time, hopefully.”
It remains unclear how long Iglesias will be out, though he said Friday his finger felt worse than the previous night and that he would undergo additional testis. There is no timeline for his return at the moment.
“I have no idea,” Iglesias said.
If it is an extended stretch of playing for Machado, he can expect to get some significant playing time at shortstop, with defensive specialist Andrew Romine expected to play more as well.
Machado played some third base, and even practiced at second, while with Toledo. It’s an experiment that will likely be shelved for now given the Tigers’ immediate needs, though it might be revisited down the road.
“That probably won’t happen here, during September,” Ausmus said, “but I don’t think that long term it’s over with.”
Machado said he’s had “fun” with shifting to third, though he admitted some growing pains – a pair of errors – as he tried to acclimate to the different angles the position requires. Regardless, the transition was one Machado accepted in earnest in part because he understands that the more versatile he can be, the better his chances are at finding an everyday spot with the Tigers.
“They just want me to learn the position. I feel like if they need me in third they know I can play there and second, the same thing,” Machado said. “I feel like if you know how to play more positions, it’s better for you, you know, you have more chances to play everywhere.”
This acclimation to the big-league level of play should also be a bit easier this time around for Machado, as he made a brief appearance earlier this year in his big-league debut. The Venezuelan-born prospect, who is batting .261 and has 15 stolen bases for Toledo this season, appeared in three games for the Tigers and recorded his first major-league hit on May 27 vs. Oakland.
“I think he’s probably more comfortable with the environment, some more familiarity to it. But he’s also seen that the game is essentially the same,” Ausmus said. “The skill level is always a little higher. A lot of guys get a taste of it, go back and think, 'I can play there.'”
Machado was one of three call-ups following Thursday's game. Joining him are relievers Jeff Farrell and Jose Valdez, both of whom were summoned to give the Tigers bullpen some needed depth.