Let’s face it, we all knew that 26-year-old former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado was good. I mean, if you are among those who follow Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) on Twitter, it seems as though his name appeared almost nightly for hitting another home run. But it’s probably fair to say that even the biggest skeptics had no idea that Machado was this good; at least after his first three games in a Dodger uniform.

Oh sure, three games is an insanely small sample size, and the four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and Orioles 2010 first-round draft pick was obviously amped-up to now be playing for an actual World Series contender. But going 5-for-13 with a double, a run scored, a RBI, two walks and only one strikeout while posting a slash-line of .385 / .467 / .462 for an alien-like OPS of .928 in his three games as a Dodger thus far has even the biggest skeptics saying “Huh.”

“He’s doing everything we’ve expected, using the whole field, getting on base, staying in the strike zone,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters following Sunday’s 11-2 pounding of the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. “So the production, as far as the slug and driving in runs, that’s going to come, we’re not worried about that.”

The slug that Roberts is referring to are the 24 home runs and 65 RBI that Machado had with the Orioles prior to be acquired by the Dodgers the day after the 2018 All-Star Game, in which Machado was the American League’s starting shortstop.

Although Dodger fans were hoping that Machado would live up to the hype that preceded him, no one expected him to be this good right out of the chute. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

And then there’s his defense.

I don’t know about you, but I can think of at least four defensive plays over the just-concluded three-game series against the Brewers where I actually said out loud “Wow!” on defensive plays that Machado made at shortstop that I thought were impossible to make – perhaps none greater than the hard grounder to his right with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second inning on Sunday afternoon that was surely going to be a two-run base hit off the bat of Brewers first baseman Ryan Braun. Not only was Machado able to cut the ball off at (very) deep short, he calmly turned and fired an absolute BB to Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy to nail Braun with a two-run-saving 6-3 putout to end the inning.

How Machado:  A) even got to this ball, and B) was able to turn and fire a dart to nail Braun at first base thereby preventing two runs from scoring will forever remain a mystery. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

With Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner returning to the starting lineup for the first time since July 12 and subsequently having to exit the game with two outs in the bottom of the third inning due to his recurring right adductor issue and groin tightness, it seems only logical that Machado will soon play his first game at third base since joining the team on Friday.

If you recall, shortly after Machado was acquired by the Dodgers, he told the media that he would be more than willing to occasionally play third base for his new team, and Roberts said that this might occur at least once per week. And with the recent defensive struggles by Muncy at third base over the weekend, and with the likelihood that Turner will land on the disabled list as early as Monday, when the Dodgers open a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, it is pretty much a given that we will see Machado at third base sooner rather than later.

There is another third base option for the Dodgers – Logan Forsythe.

Despite his DFA-worthy offensive numbers this (and last) season, Roberts continues to give the extremely polite and soft-spoken 31-year-old Memphis, Tennessee native a glowing endorsement.

“I don’t ever doubt [Forsythe’s] preparedness, his focus, his intent,” a very serious Dave Roberts told reporters on Sunday, amidst growing rumors that Forsythe’s days were numbered as a Dodger. “It’s been a tough go for Logan for two and a half, three months. I think the defense is above average.

“You guys know me, I don’t like to give up on players – especially when they’re doing things the right way – because I think that sends a message to the clubhouse. I appreciate his work. He never once takes his offense out to the defensive side. For me, that means a lot.”

Lo and behold, the eight-year MLB veteran second baseman had what was arguably his best day of the season at the plate on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and a RBI to raise his season batting average to (wait for it…) .219.

That being said, Forsythe also committed an error at second base on Sunday. As a result, that “above average” defense that Roberts is desperately trying to sell is now a .978 fielding percentage at second base; this to go along with his horrible .889 fielding percentage at third base. Whereas it might be okay to look the other way over Forsythe’s (sorry, Doc) subpar defence if he were hitting .274 with 22 home runs (as is Max Muncy), the brutally painful truth is that Dave Roberts is full of “horse fertilizer,” (as Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully might say) over what he perceives as Forsythe’s “above average” defense.

But getting back to the positive side, it’s hard to not feel a certain schoolgirl giddiness every time Manny Machado steps into the batters box or jogs out to shortstop – and perhaps soon – to third base.

…skeptics be damned.