SAN DIEGO -- Things went from bad to worse for the struggling Padres offense on Wednesday.

Star third baseman Manny Machado was diagnosed with a fractured metacarpal bone in his left hand after he was hit by a pitch on Monday night. Initial X-rays came back negative, but further tests revealed what manager Bob Melvin said was “a small fracture.”

It’s unclear whether Machado will require a stint on the injured list, and his status will be re-evaluated on Friday after an off-day Thursday.

“I’m not sure how my body’s going to heal,” Machado said. “So just take it day by day, see what it is, hopefully come back after this off-day and it’s a lot better.”

Both Melvin and Machado expressed some optimism that Machado could avoid a trip to the IL. Machado, of course, prides himself on his availability and hasn’t spent any time on the IL since 2014. But he acknowledged that the nature of this injury is different and a potential IL stint might be out of his control.

Machado sustained the injury when he was struck in the left hand by a Brad Keller slider in the Padres’ win over the Royals on Monday. After he briefly remained in the game, Machado was taken out and wasn't in the lineup for losses on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

In that time, however, Machado reported some notable progress.

“Swelling’s gone down tremendously,” Machado said. “We definitely have more range of motion today.”

It’s a literal tough break for the Padres, whose offense has underperformed for most of the season. Machado was among those struggling at the plate. He’d posted a .231/.282/.372 slash line in 40 games.

Still, Machado is one of the sport’s most fearsome hitters when he’s clicking at the plate. It’s a significant loss for a Padres team that ranks in the bottom 10 in most offensive categories, despite lofty expectations.

“Every team goes through injuries and [to] key guys,” said Melvin. “We have enough key guys to be able to overcome that. We’re just not doing it.”

The Padres dropped each of their first two games without Machado to the last-place Royals, including a disheartening 4-3 defeat on Wednesday afternoon in which the offense left 12 men on base.

“It’s definitely a tough stretch for us,” Machado said. “Definitely want to be out there trying to help this team win in whatever way. It’s just a bummer. Bummer. It’s not ideal for us right now.”