Toronto Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson appears close to returning to his usual position of third base.
He tested his right arm Monday by taking ground balls during batting practice before the Jays’ game against Chicago at Rogers Centre. He also played catch and fielded grounders for about a half hour after Sunday’s win over New York.
Donaldson, who is battling a dead arm issue, was slotted to serve as designated hitter for the series opener against the White Sox.
“There’s a good chance he’ll be out there (at third base) tomorrow,” manager John Gibbons said before the game.
In Thursday’s season opener against the Yankees, Donaldson’s throws across the field were noticeably weaker than normal. The 32-year-old was the DH for the last three games against New York.
Donaldson had one hit, two walks and scored twice in Sunday’s 7-4 win.
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“I saw him (throw) yesterday and everything looked normal to me,” Gibbons said. “We’ll give him one more day to DH and we’ll shoot for tomorrow.”
Cleanup hitter Yangervis Solarte was slated to fill in for Donaldson at third base on Monday night.
Donaldson hit 33 homers and drove in 78 runs over 113 games for the Blue Jays in 2017. He posted a .270 batting average last season.
He has two hits in 13 at-bats this season.
Donaldson, the 2015 American League most valuable player, was limited in spring training by a shoulder issue. He started just seven pre-season games at third base.