Josh Donaldson is not himself in the field to start the season, and now we know why.
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the Jays lost their opener 6-1 to the New York Yankees Thursday that Donaldson is dealing with a “dead” arm.
Josh Donaldson has a dead arm but no injury, John Gibbons says. "We don't think it's a big deal, it's just dead" #BlueJays
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 29, 2018
Dead arms are not unusual for players to experience, especially early in season. Coming off an offseason where you’re not in the habit of throwing daily, the sudden extreme use of your arm can cause issues. Having a dead arm means you are unable to get your usual feeling and velocity. That’s apparently what Donaldson is going through, which led him to softly throw or even one-hop tosses to first from third.
If it keeps up, he could end up seeing some time at DH until his arm gets back to normal. The 32-year-old went 0-for-3 with a walk against the Yankees. He’s averaged 37 home runs per season since joining the Jays.
