Calgary Herald

Jays’ Donaldson ending season on a major tear

Toronto management facing a dilemma: re-sign third baseman or trade him?

- ROB LONGLEY rlongley@postmedia.com twitter.com/ longleysun­sport

It has been a September like no other for Toronto Blue Jays star third baseman Josh Donaldson, and overall not one he’ll remember fondly.

Sure he’s on fire at the plate, belting two more home runs on Sunday in a losing effort (13-7) against the Twins to give him five in the past three games. On form, he’s rarely been better.

But for the first time in a full season as a major leaguer, Donaldson is not in the thick of a playoff race and for just the second time won’t be participat­ing in the post season.

As you can imagine for the driven, competitiv­e third baseman just two years removed from his MVP season, that has made for a frustratin­g 2017 campaign. From the calf injury that dogged him in spring training and kept him on the DL for 38 games in April and May, to intermitte­nt struggles at the plate, it has been a battle.

Donaldson has been ripping it since the all star break, however, with more home runs than anyone in the American League (21) in that stretch. It’s like he’s on a mission to erase all the bad taste of the past several months and take something positive forward.

How good is his form? The 481foot monster blast he hit in the first inning on Sunday was the third longest homer in Target Field history and tied for the sixth longest in the majors this season.

When Donaldson added a second round tripper in the next inning, it gave him 30 on the year, joining Joe Carter as the only Jay to have 30 or more in each of their first three seasons with the Jays.

Donaldson has once again resumed his role of offensive prominence with the team and will be a focal point of discussion over the next 12 months in terms of whatever potential rebuild team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins embark on.

ON THE JAYS’ FUTURE

During the off season, Donaldson will surely be the subject of trade speculatio­n as free agency approaches.

There will be a big payday waiting for him soon and it stands to reason that he will aim to be on a contender. From the Jays standpoint, given his torrid play of late, his stock has to be soaring in potential trade value.

Does Donaldson believe in the Jays and what for now is an uncertain future?

“I believe in any team that I’m on,” Donaldson told Postmedia. “I’m sure there’s going to be some things discussed this off season and I’m sure there’s going to be changes made.

“Honestly? I feel like the last two weeks we’ve been playing really good baseball and that says a lot about the character of the guys in this room that they haven’t just checked out which is very easy to do.

“There’s not a lot that we have to play for now except our teammates and if guys are trying to accomplish goals. Day in and day out we’ve done a great job of competing.”

ON TWINS KILLING

Donaldson was at his beastly best in the four-game series here, threatenin­g to single-handedly compromise the Twins’ chance at an AL wild card spot.

On Sunday, his two-homer outburst followed two the night before giving him five against the Twins as he reached the distinguis­hed 30mark once again.

In his past 40 games against the Twins, Donaldson has 19 home runs and has a career slugging percentage of .839. Three of the five round-trippers in the series were classic Donaldson — mighty swats that left the park in a hurry.

“It’s fortunate for me that I’ve been able to make adjustment­s throughout the course of the season and take advantage of it,” Donaldson said of his stellar play of late. “I feel like the times when I struggle is when I’m not able to know where my body’s at and how it’s moving. Whenever I can identify what I need to adjust, I’m able to bounce back pretty quickly.”

ON PLAYOFF WITHDRAWAL

Donaldson was a September callup on a weak Oakland Athletics team in 2010 and a full-timer on a poor 2011 A’s team that won just 74 games.

Every year since, however, the Florida native has seen post action including ALCS appearance­s with the Jays in 2015 and 2016.

And Donaldson acknowledg­es it has been a drasticall­y different experience facing the final month of the season without a shot and one he doesn’t want to duplicate.

“Septembers we’ve always been playing for something,” Donaldson said. “It’s completely different for me. The past five years, every year the team I’ve been playing on has been playing for something, so it’s definitely new.

“It’s something where you have to go out there and constantly stay in the moment and really just focus on competing.”

ON A FRUSTRATIN­G 2017

Given his playoff pedigree and track record of team success, frustratio­n is inevitable. Dealing with the reality of a team that has been in last place in the AL East since opening day hasn’t been easy.

For Donaldson personally, it’s been a trying campaign as he’s battled injury and adjusted his swing. But his recent tear is a testament to his skills and studiousne­ss as a hitter.

“It’s been a very difficult season, for sure,” Donaldson said. “It definitely hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to go. It hasn’t gone the way our fans have wanted it to go. This is a difficult sport to play and you have to go out there and compete at the highest of your abilities day in and day out. It’s not easy to go out there and win a majorleagu­e baseball game.

“The fact of it is that frustratio­n, in my opinion, comes from not knowing the answer or not knowing the direction you’re trying to push to. It’s very easy to go out there in anything you’re doing if you’re having success. The time when you really have to check yourself is when things aren’t going your way. And things for the most part this season haven’t gone our way.”

ON LESSONS LEARNED

For now, Donaldson’s goal is to finish up strong and take as much positive as he can into the winter and prepare for what will be a pivotal 2018 both for him profession­ally and the future direction of the Jays.

The series here in Minnesota has certainly been a success in that regard, but what will be the lasting impression of 2017?

“I think you try to learn something from each season and there’s definitely been a lot of learning I’ve had to do from this season,” Donaldson said. “Honestly, I think it’s only going to make myself better and my teammates better as well.

“It’s been difficult for all of us. At the end of the day, that’s the game of baseball. This is not only our job, but what we love to do.”

I believe in any team that I’m on. I’m sure there’s going to be some things discussed this off season and I’m sure there’s going to be changes made.

ON FEELING HEALTHY

Donaldson didn’t want to reach for excuses last October when the Jays lost the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians, but it was clear he was beat up physically.

The calf injury earlier this season was a hindrance, but right now Donaldson is as healthy as he can hope for late in the season. And when he feel strong, his confidence elevates with it.

“Being able to (feel strong) at this point of the season is definitely something that’s a positive,” said Donaldson, who with 102 games so far will play his fewest games in a season. “Most Septembers I’ve played 120 or 130 games so you’re normally not feeling fresh. During the course of the season you have to catch your second wind and something you need your third wind.

“I feel like lately I’ve been able to feel pretty good about where my body’s at and kind of managing it on the field and how I’m preparing for games.”

 ?? THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson celebrates after homering against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday in Minneapoli­s. Donaldson had a pair of homers in a 13-7 loss, giving him 30 for the season, only the second Jay to hit 30 or more in each of his first...
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson celebrates after homering against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday in Minneapoli­s. Donaldson had a pair of homers in a 13-7 loss, giving him 30 for the season, only the second Jay to hit 30 or more in each of his first...

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