I don’t have live access to current feeds right now, but here’s the latest I can confirm based on public reporting up to now.
- Jackie Robinson Day tradition: MLB players wear number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, but many players, including Manny Machado, have used their own numbers on Jackie Robinson Day in certain years or games when teams didn’t assign 42 to everyone. Machado has typically worn his own number (No. 13) on most occasions, including recent seasons.[1][3]
- The latest chatter you referenced—systems sometimes post parody or miscaptioned reports about players wearing/not wearing 42—appears to be from non-official sources and should be treated cautiously; official team/league announcements are the reliable standard.[1]
- There has not been a consistently confirmed, league-wide change in Machado’s Jackie Robinson Day practice that would indicate he permanently or commonly wears No. 42 on that day instead of his usual number in recent years; he has remained associated with his usual Padres number when the team has allowed personal-number selections on special days.[3][1]
If you’d like, I can search for the very latest official Padres/MLB statements or provide a brief snapshot from credible outlets on the specific Jackie Robinson Day for 2026, including photos or game logs to verify what number Machado wore on the day in question.