Padres manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday that Machado (elbow) will be ready to serve as a designated hitter in Cactus League games "sooner rather than later," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Machado won't be in the lineup for the Padres' spring opener Thursday, but Shildt noted that the slugger is "trending in a really good place" as he works his way back from surgery to repair the extensor tendon in his right elbow. San Diego has an early start to its season with two games against the Dodgers on March 20 and 21 in South Korea, but Machado is tracking toward being ready for that series, even if he's deployed as a DH initially.