MLB rumors: Yankees player considering retirement, Dodgers/Giants injury updates

Josh Donaldson is considering calling it a career after 2023

In a somewhat surprising development, New York Yankees third-baseman Josh Donaldson admitted he isn’t sure if he’ll return for the 2024 season. As a reminder, we’re still in just the month of June, so the timing of the admission is interesting, to say the least.

Donaldson was open and honest with Brendan Kuty of The Athletic (subscription required) on Sunday night. He said he’ll have to see how the season plays out, how he feels, and what his family thinks. But ultimately, Donaldson didn’t do much to shut down the idea of curtains for his career after 2023.

The Yankees had just gotten swept by the Red Sox when he spoke to Kuty, losing both ends of the doubleheader on Sunday at Fenway Park.

Donaldson has not played much this year, missing most of April and May due to injury. He jumped back into the lineup in early June and has slashed .162/.256/.568 this month so far. New York acquired Donaldson in a trade with the Minnesota Twins ahead of the 2022 season, and since arriving in New York he’s been up and down offensively. 2022 was his worst offensive season since his rookie year in 2010.

That said, he has been steady on the defensive end even throughout offensive struggles in New York.

Donaldson, if he hung it up now, should be proud of his career. He had staying power for over a decade and won himself an MVP in 2015, a year where he led the American League in RBI for the Blue Jays.

Surely, he’s hoping he can turn things around and go out on a higher note than the one he’s been on in New York the last two seasons.