Donaldson needs to be the Bringer of Games
Instead of Josh Donaldson waiting in Florida for the Blue Jays to come to him, the all-star third-baseman boarded a flight and came to them. The Jays’ next stop was in the Tampa Bay area, where Donaldson had been playing at Class-A Dunedin on an injury rehab. Rather than playing another minorleague game and waiting for his mates, the Bringer of Rain hustled to Cleveland.
Donaldson was activated Thursday and pencilled into his usual two-hole and at third base for the first game of the doubleheader. Infielder Gift Ngoepe was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo.
Donaldson, as per his nickname, brought rain and a lengthy delay. But he also had two hits, including a sixthinning homer, and three RBIs. Is he ready? There were questions being posed among fans and media as to the wisdom of bringing Donaldson back with just two minor-league games — one at third base — to test a wonky arm that had produced whiffle throws to first base over the first two weeks. It was at first called “a little bit of dead arm” and later correctly diagnosed as right shoulder inflammation.
The games are insignificant. When a player undergoes a program to rehab an injured arm, most of the work is done away from game action. Thus, even though Donaldson made just three throws in the his one Class-A game, there were numerous infield sessions with hundreds of other throws to test him.
The reinstatement of Donaldson serves a purpose for both player and team. He is auditioning for his jackpot contract in free agency. At 32, he will never have another chance at a huge payday. He has been ranked as the fourth-most important free agent scheduled in next-year’s bumper crop, behind Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, Orioles infielder Manny Machado and Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.
But one of the perceptions he must overcome is that he has become injuryprone.
He played 113 games in 2017 after playing 155-plus games four years in a row. It’s why he wanted to come back for the doubleheader instead of waiting another day. If he plays every game the rest of the way, he can make 144 appearances. That’s an unlikely scenario but he will try and play every day he is physically able. That works well for the Jays. He is their best player. How much of an impact has Donaldson had over his threeplus seasons with the Jays? In 2015, he was named AL MVP and they won the AL East. In 2016 he finished fourth in MVP voting and the Jays earned the first wild card. In both those playoff seasons, Donaldson won a Silver Slugger at third base. In 201,7 when he missed 49 games and finished 22nd in MVP balloting, the Jays won just 76 games.
Donaldson has proven that he is able to carry the offence for weeks at a time. There is nobody else on the roster — other than Justin Smoak at times, and he is away on paternity leave — about whom that can be said.
In 16 games from May 25 to June 12, 2015, Donaldson had eight homers, 17 RBIs and a 1.221 OPS; the Jays went 12-4. In 21 games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 11, 2015, had seven homers, 30 RBIs and a 1.238 OPS; the Jays went 15-6. In 36 games from June 8 to July 20, 2016, Donaldson slammed 11 homers, 40 RBIs and a 1.275 OPS; the team went 23-13.
But the most memorable streak was the one that ended last season. After he returned to the lineup and regained full health, he played 45 games from Aug. 20 on, batting .308 with 20 homers, 42 RBIs and a 1.107 OPS.
As for the consistent in-game importance of Bringer of Rain’s hits and his RBIs to the team’s success, here is a quick breakdown of the 114 home runs he had already hit with the Blue Jays headed into Thursday’s doubleheader: Since Opening Day 2015, Donaldson had hit 57 home runs that gave his team the lead in a game and seven others that served to tie the score.
That’s 56.1% that had been game-changers.
Defensively, through the Jays’ first 30 games, the infield had been notoriously shaky, not just in errors but in plays not made. For a starting staff that features three primarily groundball pitchers in Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Jaime Garcia, that is not something they can live with long term. Yangervis Solarte is enthusiastic and fun to watch but he is not primarily a defender, and the number of ground balls that have leaked through the left side of the infield has been noticeable.
From the time that Donaldson first arrived with the Jays, his defensive play at third base improved markedly as he continued to work on his footwork, his throwing and his positioning with coach Luis Rivera.
“Just be consistent with his footwork throwing to first base,” Rivera had said back in the spring, explaining the improvement with the glove that he had witnessed. “Right now we just have him in a shuffle. It’s more consistent towards the target. When he does that, it makes sure he gains ground towards the target instead of just staying back on his leg.
“Gain ground and put something behind it.”
The Jays are hoping that the time off will allow Donaldson to finally put something behind his throws.