Machado lauds Profar after Dodgers tiff: 'Put a little respect on his name'

Manny Machado would like the Los Angeles Dodgers to know that Jurickson Profar is quite relevant.

One day after Profar drew the Dodgers' ire by taking exception to an inside pitch, the San Diego Padres outfielder delivered a bases-clearing double that held up as the winning hit in Sunday's 6-3 victory at Dodger Stadium. It prompted Machado to stand up for his teammate, whom he says has been one of the team's most important pieces early in the season.

"He's been leading this team big-time," Machado said about Profar postgame, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Numbers speak for themselves. Every time he comes out here and steps on the field, he makes a big impact. ... The boy got 10 years in the league. There's only a handful of baseball players in all of baseball that have accomplished that goal, so got to put a little respect on his name."

Dodgers catcher Will Smith called Profar "irrelevant" after Saturday's benches-clearing skirmish. Profar was irked about Gavin Stone's inside pitch, but Smith was curious why anyone would think Stone threw at him while he still had a perfect game going.

Profar let his bat do the talking Sunday, as he's done throughout this year. He's off to one of the best starts of his 11-year career, hitting .321/.424/.536 with two homers, 13 RBIs, and nine walks for the surprising Padres.

The 31-year-old took the high road when asked about Smith's comments, pointing instead to the fact his team won a road series from their star-studded Southern California rivals.

"We have a great team and they have a really, really good team over there," Profar said. "For us to come in here and take two out of three, it's a message, you know."