The New York Yankees transferred third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has a right calf strain, from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list on Thursday.
Donaldson, 37, sustained the injury on Saturday while running out a ground ball in the seventh inning of New York's 6-3 win against the Colorado Rockies in Denver. He was placed on the injured list the next day.
Donaldson later said that team physician Chris Ahmad said that it appeared to be a "Grade 2-plus," and another doctor in Denver rated it a "Grade 3."
According to WebMD, a Grade 2 muscle strain means "the muscle hasn't completely torn. Still, you'll have lost strength and motion in that muscle and it may take 2-3 months to recover," while a Grade 3 strain means "the muscle or tendon has completely torn. You might need surgery."
Donaldson said on Monday that he has not been given a timetable for his return, and given the lengthy recovery times for calf strains, there is no guarantee that he will return during the regular season.
"We're getting to the point of the season where we're running out of games and time," Donaldson said. "I try to stay as positive as I can with it."
He is batting .142 through 33 games, with 10 home runs but just four singles and one double.
Donaldson is a career .262 hitter with 276 homers and 805 RBIs in 1,366 games over 13 seasons with six teams. He is in his second season with the Yankees. He is set to become a free agent after this season, and last month he told The Athletic he was undecided on whether he would play in 2024 or retire at the end of this season.
In a corresponding move to fill the 40-man roster spot, the Yankees signed right-hander Matt Bowman, 32, to a major league contract and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Yankees also announced that outfielder Willie Calhoun (left quad strain) begins a rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Somerset, and infielder/outfielder Jake Bauers (left rotator cuff inflammation) begins a rehab assignment with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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