Tigers' Dixon Machado: Playing well this spring
In 37 Grapefruit League at-bats, Machado is slashing .324/.359/.459 with a home run, eight runs scored and a stolen base.
Machado was mainly a utility player last season for the Tigers, but it appears he has the inside track on the second base job to begin the year following the offseason departure of Ian Kinsler. Machado is likely to hit ninth, and his career .603 OPS doesn't support an offensive explosion, but the playing time should be there, at least in the early going.