SAN DIEGO -- Manny Machado said he believes elbow surgery is in his offseason future, perhaps even sooner.

The San Diego Padres third baseman told mlb.com on Monday he is "going in the direction of having surgery pretty soon," and that could even mean before this season's final game, depending on how San Diego's last-minute try for a wild-card playoff spot in the National League goes down the stretch.

It's been a unique season for Machado, as the Padres stumbled to start the season, quickly falling behind in the NL West. Though he belted his 300th career home run in July, during a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, he also spent time on the 10-day injured list in May because of a hairline fracture in his left hand.

Machado has endured elbow problems before, and the issue this season has gained in intensity down the stretch.

"We were trying to avoid it as much as we can," Machado said of the surgery. "But unfortunately, [the injury] has just put us in that situation, and you know what, it's probably going to make me better, going to make us all better. Just get it done, get ready for next year, come back and be healthy."

The Padres, who defeated the Colorado Rockies 11-9, on Monday, are 5 games out of the final wild-card berth. But as long as Machado holds out hope, so too will San Diego manager Bob Melvin.

"He wants to be out there for his team right now. We'll see where it goes in the next few days," Melvin said. "But as long as there's a slight chance and we're not eliminated, he wants to play as much as he can for his team. That's probably an ongoing conversation depending on how the team does here."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.