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Josh Donaldson injury update: Blue Jays slugger to DL

By Brad Berreman

Apr 13, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Josh Donaldson (20) runs to first base after hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Josh Donaldson (20) runs to first base after hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Josh Donaldson has been bothered by a calf injury since the spring, and now he’s finally headed for the DL.

The Toronto Blue Jays are limping through the first couple weeks this season, with a 1-8 record and a noted lack of offense.  Third baseman Josh Donaldson has been a lone bright spot at the plate, with a .310/.429/.586 slash line, two home runs, two doubles, four RBI and five runs scored despite being bothered off and on by a right calf issue going back to spring training.

Donaldson aggravated his calf injury last Sunday, then was limited to pinch-hitting duty in Tuesday night’s home opener. He returned to the starting lineup after that though, serving as Toronto’s designated hitter on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

As he legged out an RBI double against the Orioles on Thursday night,  Donaldson pulled up lame and had to leave the game. With two aggravations of the injury in less than a week, and options limited if having Donaldson serve as DH hasn’t helped, the Blue Jays have one viable course of action and it’s expected to happen.

Darwin Barney started at third base on Thursday night, and he and Ryan Goins are in line to fill the void at the hot corner while Donaldson is out. That’s obviously a serious downgrade offensively, though Barney does have three hits in eight at-bats so far this season.

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It’s unclear how long Donaldson will be out, but there’s some chance it will be longer than a minimum 10-day stint on the DL. Some rest may be all it takes to allow his calf issue to finally fully heal, and any chance for the Blue Jays to turn things around will depend greatly on Donaldson being available.

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