Blue Jays notebook: Donaldson socks slam (in Triple-A), T.O. return on hold
Josh Donaldson won’t make a quick return to Toronto after all.
There was a chance the 32year-old third baseman would return to the Rogers Centre less than a week after he was traded to the Cleveland Indians last Friday, for a four-game series against the Blue Jays starting Thursday. Fans and media alike called for a warm reception for the 2015 American League MVP, who helped bring life back to the franchise with playoff runs in 2015 and 2016.
But that reunion will have to wait after Donaldson was placed back on the 10-day disabled list Monday. Among those disappointed was Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, even if it means avoiding a guy who has hit a career .292 with 63 home runs and 169 RBIs at the Rogers Centre.
“Yeah, I was looking forward to seeing him,” Gibbons said before the Jays took on the Rays in the opener of a three-game series. “I’m a big fan.”
Donaldson played two rehab games for the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Gulf Coast League before he was traded to Cleve- land. At Progressive Field on Sunday, he said he was close to 100 per cent, took batting practice and did drills on the field, The Associated Press reported. He was back in the minor leagues Monday, hitting second for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Donaldson went 1for-2 — a fourth-inning grand slam — plus a walk and played six innings in the field.
“He did?” the manager joked when informed of the slam. “He can’t do that for (Cleveland)?”
STARTING SIX: Marcus Stroman (blister) was activated from the DL and started Monday night. That makes seven potential starters in the Jays clubhouse along with Aaron Sanchez, Ryan Borucki, Marco Estrada, Sam Gaviglio, Sean Reid-Foley and Thomas Pannone. Gibbons confirmed the club will move to a six-man rotation, giving some pitchers a needed break. Along with Stroman, Sanchez (finger contusion) is also just back from injury, while Estrada is struggling with back soreness and Gaviglio recently dealt with a sore bicep after he was hit by a comebacker. Reid-Foley, who has tossed 146 innings this year, will get the nod ahead of Pannone for the time being.
“We’ll keep an eye on ReidFoley,” Gibbons said. “He’s probably not going to finish the season out, but he’s got at least a couple more starts. Pannone, we want to get (him) some
innings, too.”
Pannone has worked just 67 innings, after starting the year with an 80-game drug suspension. The Jays also added reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the active roster on Monday.
INJURY UPDATES: Switchhitting infielder Yangervis Solarte (oblique) fielded ground balls before batting practice on Monday and was set to begin hitting in cages, from both sides, after hitting off a tee and soft tosses without issue. He’s expected to begin a baserunning progression later this week. Infielder Brandon Drury, meanwhile, still has his fractured left hand in a removable splint and was schedule to have a followup scan done Tuesday.