Machado, ranked No. 12 among the team's Top 30 prospects, was still making his way up the Tigers' farm system when stress fractures in both shins cost Iglesias the 2014 season. The result was a procession of replacements, from aging Alex Gonzalez to utility infielders Andrew Romine and Danny Worth to then-prospect Eugenio Suarez. When a bruised left knee knocked Iglesias out of a three-game series at Oakland last May, the Tigers called up Machado to fill in. When a hand injury sidelined Iglesias late last August, Machado stepped in as a September callup and did more than hold down the job.
Defense remains Machado's ticket to Detroit
