New York Yankees Third Baseman Josh Donaldson Could Possibly Miss Rest of Season
New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson is not sure if he will be able to return from injury this season, the veteran told reporters Monday night.
Donaldson was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain on Sunday, one day after he appeared to get hurt while running out a ground ball against the Colorado Rockies.
After undergoing an MRI, Donaldson said he got two opinions on the results. One doctor diagnosed Donaldson's calf strain as Grade 2-plus, while the other said it was Grade 3. According to Donaldson, the strain resulted in a high enough grade that it could be considered to be a tear.
Donaldson does not have a timetable to return. When asked if Donaldson could get back into the lineup before the end of the season, manager Aaron Boone said "We'll see" and that his recovery process was "going to take a decent amount of time."
This isn't the first time Donaldson has been on the injured list this season, either.
New York put Donaldson on the 10-Day Injured List with a right hamstring strain on April 8. The 37-year-old infielder was not activated until June 1.
Even beyond the injuries, Donaldson is in the midst of the least productive season of his 13-year major league career.
Donaldson is hitting .142 with 10 home runs, 15 RBI, one double and a .659 OPS so far in 2023. Donaldson's batting average has not been above the Mendoza Line since April 1.
In the Yankees' first two games back from the All-Star break, Donaldson was 0-for-7 as the team's designated hitter.
Donaldson has fallen a long way since winning American League MVP with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Donaldson earned MVP votes in six out of seven seasons from 2013 to 2019, finding varying levels of success with the Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Guardians and Atlanta Braves.
Even in his two seasons with the Minnesota Twins – during which he failed to live up to his four-year, $92 million contract – Donaldson still boasted an .829 OPS.
Since getting traded to the Yankees in March 2022, however, Donaldson is hitting .207 with a .678 OPS. New York sent former top prospects Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to Minnesota in exchange for Donaldson.
The Yankees are 15-18 when Donaldson plays this year, compared to 35-26 without him.
New York is currently in last place in the AL East and 2.0 games behind the Houston Astros for the third AL Wild Card spot. The Yankees have 68 games left on their regular season slate, owning the seventh-hardest remaining schedule in the league, per Tankathon.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
