SAN DIEGO -- Some hitters get hot. Manny Machado, in the words of Padres manager Jayce Tingler, gets "lava hot."

It’s a common refrain of Tingler’s to note that there are few hitters in baseball who sustain their hot stretches quite like Machado -- and Tingler isn’t wrong. That was on full display last season, when Machado struggled for the first quarter of the schedule, then reeled off a downright sensational 45-game stretch that landed him at third in National League MVP Award voting.

"A lot of guys, they get hot," Tingler said. "He just gets lava hot, and just does more exceptional things -- drives the ball out of the ballpark, big hits."

Machado, who struggled early this season and even missed a week in May as he battled right shoulder soreness, has not gotten lava hot quite yet this season. He entered play Tuesday night hitting .258/.340/.459 -- commendable, but certainly not up to his lofty standards.

But check out what Machado is doing this month, and that lava-hot streak feels somewhat inevitable. He's hitting .324/.372/.603 with five homers in June. His OPS over the past week is 1.340, including a three-run blast in the first inning in Monday night's win that gave the Padres a four-run lead over the Dodgers and sent Petco Park into a frenzy.

"Yeah, they're finding some holes finally," Machado said with a laugh.

Really? That's it?

"To be honest, I feel the same," Machado said. "I feel like I've been barreling the ball up the same way. ... You've got to stick to it. If you're barreling balls up right at people, just keep going. They'll start falling."

For the most part, Machado has a point. His early season numbers were well below what the underlying metrics indicated they should be. He was hitting the ball hard, but the gap between his expected numbers and actual numbers was stark.

That -- to hear his teammates and coaches tell it -- is where Machado shines. It's a results-based business, and when the results aren't there, it can have an effect. Machado, in his 10th big league season, doesn't let those results -- good or bad -- affect his next day's performance.

"He has a quiet confidence, knowing this thing's going to turn around, get on track," Tingler said. "He doesn't get too up. He doesn't get too down."

Tingler is quick to point out Machado's defense, which has been elite all season -- so much so that there's a legit case Machado could dethrone eight-time reigning Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado this season.

It’s easier to control defensive fluctuations, of course. On defense, Machado has been relentlessly excellent. On the bases, Machado isn't as naturally gifted. But that's another area Tingler pointed to as one completely within Machado's control, and he has been particularly solid for a player with limited speed. Machado has swiped eight bags this season and has been caught just twice.

All the while, Machado clearly dealt with shoulder trouble. Twice in his career, Machado played in 162 games, and he prides himself immensely on his availability. Then, he missed a week in mid-May, without much explanation, other than that his right shoulder was barking. Still, Machado refuses to attribute any of his early struggles at the plate to that injury, calling it merely "part of the grind."

"It's a long season," Machado said. "It's ups and downs. Lots of ups and downs, and you've got to keep riding that wave."

An apt metaphor, considering the city he plays in. And a perfect metaphor for Manny Machado.