Josh Donaldson, the New York Yankees’ 12-year MLB veteran infielder, has had a horrible season so far. In an injury-plagued run, he has hit .142 with 10 home runs and 15 RBIs. He missed a ridiculous amount of time on the injury list due to a hamstring injury earlier this season. Meanwhile, another injury scare has grappled the baseman during a crucial stretch of the season.
Donaldson pulled up his calf muscle right before the All-Star break. He limped off the field but returned for his next at-bat immediately after an innings break. All seemed normal until Saturday. The baseman once again faced some issues with his right calf muscle and was pulled off abruptly. Now, Josh Donaldson has come forward with an alarming update on his future in the season.
Josh Donaldson Likely Suffering From A Season-Ending Injury!
On Saturday, while facing the Rockies, Yankees veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson attempted to run out a ground ball in the seventh inning. In the process, he stretched his right leg calf muscle and looked visibly in pain. For the second time in three weeks, Donaldson limped off the field, but this time it looked more severe than before. The Yanks wasted no time in putting the baseman on a 10-day IL stint. However, the MRI results have scared Josh, who believes it could be the beginning of his end this season.
Josh Donaldson faced the media ahead of the series opener against the Angels and shared a crucial update on his injury. He said that his calf injury had been diagnosed as a Grade 3 injury, which suggests a tear. This has made Donaldson believe that he will not be able to return this season, as a tear will take a minimum of six weeks to heal. Yankees manager Aaron Boone says that the recovery will take a decent amount of time, and he cannot say for sure about Josh’s future participation in the season. As of now, the baseman has no return timeline and is mulling a second opinion on the injury. If the infielder fails to return this season, his career with the Yankees might have already come to an end.
What Are The Replacement Options For Yankees?
The Yankees have called up infield prospect Oswald Peraza as a replacement on the roster. Peraza has been denied a major league promotion despite his electrifying performance in Triple-A due to a lack of space in the roster. His promotion was long due, and hence the prospect is going to get first preference at third base. He has already played two games since joining the lineup and has displayed promising results.
Other than Oswald Peraza, DJ LeMahieu and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are the other two options. LeMahieu has been off at second base so far. He could really use a change and split time between second and third base. Speaking of IKF, he has transitioned exceptionally well into the utility rule. Having said that, he wouldn’t mind splitting some time at third base as well. After all, he has been a traditional infielder for all his life. Hence, all these three could perfectly adjust into the third base if Josh Donaldson gets ruled out for the rest of the season.