Even without two of their brightest stars for much of the season, the Baltimore Orioles easily won the 2014 American League Eastern Division title. Third baseman Manny Machado went down for the season on August 12 with a damaged ligament in his right knee that needed surgery. This injury followed a 2013 season-ending injury on his left knee in late September; that injury also required surgery. Catcher Matt Wieters became one of the rare position players to undergo Tommy John surgery; he had the operation on June 16. 

How well has each player recovered, and will either player make the opening day active roster? For Machado, the possibility is very strong but for Wieters, it is more of an uncertainty.

Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore.com reports that Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects Machado to be ready for opening day on April 6. Showalter, though, expects Wieters to need more time but not too much longer after the new season begins. Dubroff quoted the Orioles manager discussing his two players and more to an audience in Baltimore. 

“With both of these guys, it will be when and not if. I think... Manny makes the start of the year, and I think Matt is very close thereafter, but we won’t put either one of these guys on the field until it’s time to go, and try to keep the finish line in mind.... I think Manny will be fine,” said Showalter.

Machado burst into the Majors with a flourish in late 2012 and helped get his team into the postseason as a wild card. He was just as stellar in 2013 before hurting his left knee only a few days before the season ended and with his team still fighting for a playoff berth. That injury also kept him off the field when the 2014 season began.

Machado returned to play in 82 games in 2014 from early May to early August. He still did a fine job, even increasing his power numbers - .278/.324/.431, 12 HR, 32 RBI in roughly half the at bats he had in 2013 when he hit 14 HR and drove in 71 runs.

Defensively, Machado is a nightly highlight reel waiting to happen. He has a little trouble with the routine plays, but he makes the spectacular plays seem easy.

Meanwhile, Wieters played in only 26 games before landing on the 60-day disabled list with a sprained UCL in his right elbow. He last played on May 10 and had his surgery approximately one month later. He was off to a terrific start to the season - .308/.339/.500, 5 HR, and 18 RBI in 112 plate appearances. In his four full seasons from 2010-2013, Wieters averaged .249/.316/.421, 20 HR, and 71 RBI. It is a small sample size, but if he could have kept up his April pace for the full season, he would have blown away those averages. 

Behind the plate, Wieters has thrown out between 31-39 percent of the runners who have tried to steal against him throughout each of those same four years. His elbow injury greatly hampered his throwing in April but if so many pitchers can come back from Tommy John surgery and pitch so well, then Wieters could have that same propensity. He is still under 30, so he could heal very well.

The Orioles lost a big bat when right fielder Nick Markakis signed with the Atlanta Braves early in December. Getting both Machado and Wieters back in the lineup - and healthy - will do much to replace that big bat and solidify the Orioles' defense even more.