The New York Yankees on Sunday placed veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson on the 10-day injured list with a strained right calf. In a corresponding move, rookie infielder Oswald Peraza has been recalled from Triple-A.
The 37-year-old Donaldson has put up good power numbers this season -- 10 home runs in 33 games -- but he's otherwise struggled. Thus far, he's slashed .142/.225/.434, which comes to an OPS+ of just 78. While Donaldson has good exit-velocity numbers in 2023, he's not found his way into many line drives. He doesn't yet have a timetable for his return. Donaldson has dealt with calf issues in the past, and with the Twins in 2020 he missed more than a month with one. Earlier this season, Donaldson was laid up almost two months with a hamstring injury. To replace him, the Yankees figure to shuffle the infield and put D.J. LeMahieu at the hot corner most of the time while Donaldson is out.
Donaldson's occasional home run power figures to be missed in a Yankees lineup that's struggled badly without reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who's been sidelined since early June with a serious toe injury. At present, the Yankees rank eighth in the AL in runs scored and ninth in OPS.
The Yankees enter Sunday's slate with a record of 50-43 and sit in fourth place in the AL East standings. On the wild-card front, the Yankees are only a game behind the Astros in the chase for the final spot.
