Milwaukee Brewers Add Former MVP Josh Donaldson to Major League Roster

The Milwaukee Brewers have selected third baseman Josh Donaldson from Triple-A Nashville, the team announced Monday.

Donaldson signed a minor league deal with the Brewers on Aug. 31. The New York Yankees released Donaldson two days earlier, cutting ties with the veteran in the final season of the four-year, $92 million contract he signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2020.

To make room for Donaldson on the active roster, Milwaukee optioned infielder Owen Miller to Triple-A Nashville.

3B Josh Donaldson selected from Triple-A Nashville.

INF Owen Miller optioned to Triple-A Nashville.

RHP J.C. Mejía transferred to the 60-day injured list. pic.twitter.com/HI9VblR8TU
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 11, 2023

Donaldson, who is 37 years old, hit .142 with a .649 OPS and -0.1 WAR in 33 games with the Yankees this season. He was on the injured list with a calf strain since July 16, but had been gearing up for a rehab stint in the minors before New York cut him loose.

In five games with Triple-A Nashville, Donaldson hit .176 with an .896 OPS – thanks in large part to his two home runs and five walks.

The Brewers already had a veteran fizzle out at third base this season, as Brian Anderson lost his starting job to 26-year-old rookie Andruw Monasterio coming out of the All-Star break. Monasterio is batting .239 since Aug. 4, but a far more palatable .320 since Aug. 26.

Donaldson, meanwhile, initially broke out with the Oakland Athletics in 2013, then took his game to another level when he got traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. That season, Donaldson beat out Mike Trout for AL MVP.

From 2013 to 2017, Donaldson averaged 33 home runs and 98 RBI a year while posting a .282 batting average and .901 OPS with three All-Star appearances.

Donaldson was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in the midst of an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, then he signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2019. The third baseman spun that into a massive contract with the Twins, and he was still averaging 34 home runs and 88 RBI per 162 games while hitting .250 with an .856 OPS as he entered his mid-30s.

Once he joined the Yankees, though, his production fell off a cliff.

Even though he still recorded 25 home runs and 76 RBI across 165 games in New York, Donaldson hit .207 with a .678 OPS in pinstripes.

Milwaukee already ranks No. 26 in batting average, No. 26 in OPS and No. 24 in home runs on the season, so it isn't as if Donaldson could make the offense that much worse. Manager Craig Counsell has also used four different designated hitters in the last five games, so Donaldson could help provide stability in that spot as well.

The Brewers are currently clinging onto a 3.0 game lead atop the NL Central with three weeks left on the schedule, looking to clinch their fifth playoff berth in six years.

Donaldson will start at third and bat fifth for the Brewers against the Miami Marlins on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET.

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