Blue Jays activate Donaldson and Tulowitzki from disabled list

The injury-plagued Toronto Blue Jays received some welcome relief Friday as two of the team’s star players returned after extended absences.

Third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki were activated from the disabled list before the opener of a weekend series against the Texas Rangers.

“They’re two huge parts of our team,” said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “We feel good. We survived their absence anyway. We didn’t totally disappear, so we’ll see. At least our lineup looks like it was supposed to look. We’ll see if we can do anything with it.”

After a disastrous April, the Blue Jays have looked much better in May. They took a 21-26 record and three-game winning streak into Friday night’s game.

“These guys did a nice job holding it together,” Tulowitzki said at an availability during batting practice. “No one ran away with the division, not like anybody does this early.

“But there’s definitely an opportunity out there and hopefully with this veteran ballclub we can make the most of it.”

Donaldson, the 2015 American League most valuable player, missed six weeks with a calf injury. Tulowitzki, a fivetime all-star, missed five weeks with a hamstring injury.

Donaldson returned to his usual No. 2 spot in the batting order while Tulowitzki was slotted in the No. 7 position.

“We’ve been waiting on this day,” Gibbons said.

“It’s kind of nice that they’ll both be back together. Really these are two key parts of how the team was put together. I feel good about what the other guys did holding down the fort.

“We’re still naturally not where we wanted to be anyway, but I think we could have very easily disappeared. But those other guys played so good.”

The Blue Jays also optioned right-hander Cesar Valdez to triple-A Buffalo on Friday.