Machin remains a strong candidate to see playing time at second base this coming season despite a logjam at the position, Alex Coffey of The Athletic reports. "Recently, (Vimael) Machin is a machine. His at-bats are terrific right now," manager Bob Melvin said.

EDGE Analysis

For most of spring training and the subsequent three-month-plus shutdown, the prevailing wisdom was that Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp would operate in a platoon at the keystone on the majority of days. The trade of Jorge Mateo to the Padres then seemed to clear a path for Machin to be the third option while also filling in occasionally elsewhere, but Melvin recently clarified the situation isn't as cut and dried. The Athletics skipper confirmed earlier this week that Chad Pinder will also see time at second, and he heaped plenty of praise on both Barreto and Kemp in his comments to reporters Monday, adding that there may not be a "final choice" for the position at any point during the season. For his part, Machin's impressive summer camp, which is an extension of a strong Cactus League stint that saw him hit .333 (10-for-30), his ability to also man all three outfield spots and Melvin's comments all appear to have the versatile 26-year-old in an excellent position to secure an Opening Day roster spot.