This week saw two of the most interesting strorylines that will linger throughout August and September and possibly well throughout the postseason. Injuries took the stage, overshadowing the games themselves at times.

Baltimore Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado began the week Monday with a swing that seemed to twist his knee the wrong way. As it turned out, he sprained his knee in the at-bat against the New York Yankees.

That same night, the Tigers Justin Verlander left his start with shoulder inflammation, a bad sign for a pitcher that used to dominate this part of the season.

With two injuries as significant as these, it makes the playoff discussion that more interesting. How will these injuries hurt or help these teams? That remains to be seen, but here’s my best guess.

Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles

Machado’s MRI revealed that he had a ligament sprain in his knee, prompting the team to place him on the 15-day DL retroactive Tuesday. He had been one of the team’s most productive players since the start of July, batting 40-for-114 (.351).

With Machado out, the Orioles will see their production drop, but don’t think that the team will become stagnant offensively. Adam Jones (.288), Nick Markakis (.293) and J.J. Hardy (.283) are each having great seasons at the plate.

Even Nelson Cruz, who struggled in July with a .211 batting average, is heating back up. He has two home runs and six RBI in his last three games. If the team could get Chris Davis to start hitting again, he may be able to make up for the production lost without Machado.

Leading the division by 6.5 games going into Wednesday and the Toronto Blue Jays and Yankees dealing with injuries, it seems it will take more than Machado out for the Orioles to blow this lead.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Verlander’s injury came at a bad time for the Tigers, who have lost seven out of nine games en route to losing the division lead to the Kansas City Royals. However, it doesn’t seem as though he will find his way onto the DL.

A short break could be good for both Verlander’s shoulder and this Tigers team, as the former ace hasn’t been close to his usual form this season. He is 10-11 on the year and holds a 4.76 ERA, making him the fifth-best pitcher in the rotation.

Is it crazy to think that a Verlander injury could help the Tigers? I don’t think so. The offense will need to step up regardless to catch the Royals for the AL Central title.

Michael Wacha and Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals started this season with even higher hopes after falling in the World Series in 2013. With Wacha out with a shoulder injury and Molina out after thumb surgery, the reigning pennant winners are in jeopardy of missing the postseason.

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the Cardinals by three games, but with two stars returning possibly as soon as early Septmber, that could change. Until then, the Cardinals will rely on new pick-ups like John Lackey and A.J. Pierzynski.

Pierzynski has batted .308 since signing with the team, while Lackey has allowed 11 runs in just two starts.