Donaldson’s future uncertain after locker cleaned out
TORONTO The Bringer of Rain was the bringer of speculation on Sunday.
It was reported Saturday night that Josh Donaldson’s locker in the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse had been cleaned out, prompting speculation the 2015 AL MVP was either done for the season or was going to be traded after his stint on the disabled list. He’s been out since May 29 with a left calf strain, but is expected to begin a rehab assignment as early as this week.
In fact, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted Sunday the pending free agent would begin a rehab assignment within the next 48 hours at the Jays’ minor-league facility in Dunedin, Fla., and could be traded by Friday if he shows he’s healthy.
As for his locker being cleaned out, Donaldson sent a message to the Blue Jays’ public relations staff, which said: “I want to play soon and wanted to make sure I have everything I need to do that. So I asked the staff to pack my locker so then I can go through it.”
If the Jays can’t trade Donaldson by the end of the week, they ’ll have to decide whether to issue him a qualifying offer that could be worth as much as US$17.4 million.
When healthy, Donaldson is one of the best players in the game, but injuries have limited him to 36 games with a .234/.333/.423 line.
KENDRYS CONTINUES CRUSHING THE BALL
Kendrys Morales homered for the seventh straight game in Toronto’s 8-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday and now is one away from the MLB record.
Three players have hit homers in eight straight games: Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993).
Morales, who has hit eight homers during the streak, gets a chance to tie that Monday night in Baltimore.
“I’m really happy on the inside, really happy with what’s happening so far,’’ Morales said Sunday through team interpreter Josue Peley at Rogers Centre. “It’s just too bad that we lost the game.’’
Manager John Gibbons remembers early in the season when Jays fans were down on Morales and even booed him after he opened the season hitting .178 in April with one homer.
“Oh yeah, we all heard that,” said the manager. “Really, that’s part of the game, I don’t care what city you’re in. Sometimes it’s even a compliment to guys who’ve been good players in the league. But in the game of baseball, those things can turn. Sometimes it takes a little while. You win their hearts back when you do some really good things.”
Morales certainly appears to have won the hearts of Jays fans.
Gibbons has always been a fan of the big Cuban, both personally and what he brings to the plate.
“He’s always a happy-go-lucky guy. We noticed that from Day 1 when he got here last year,” said Gibbons. “But I know some people over in Kansas City and they said he was one of the best things that happened to them when he showed up there and they won the World Series (in 2015). Just the way he goes about his business and the way he kind of takes young guys under his wing. From Day 1 here, he’s been as steady as can be; doesn’t get too high or too low.’’
Gibbons compares Morales’ streak to the 11-game multihit streak that rookie infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was on earlier this month.
“Both incredible feats,” said the manager.
SHAFER ENJOYING SUCCESS
Rookie pitcher Justin Shafer took over for Marco Estrada in the third inning of Sunday’s loss and issued just one walk while recording a strikeout over three hitless innings.
He has allowed just one hit in his five innings of work over three outings since joining the Jays.
The Phillies burned Estrada for five runs on seven hits, including three home runs, over two innings (plus three batters) before the right-hander was pulled from the game in the third.
Afterward, Estrada admitted that his back has been acting up.
“It’s pretty obvious I’m not 100 per cent right now,” he said.
“But I’m good enough to be out there and I don’t plan on missing anything. I’m going to work through this. Maybe, I don’t know, get a cortisone shot or something, numb it up and be ready to go for the next one.”
Morales smashed a two-run homer to right in the third inning to extend his home-run streak to seven straight games, which is also the longest in Blue Jays history.
It was his team-leading 21st homer of the season.
Randal Grichuk hit his 18th homer, a solo blast off Tommy Hunter, for the Jays.
Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana had homers for the Phillies, who ended the Jays’ five-game win streak.