After an “important” meeting with the Yankees 3B Josh Donaldson delayed Aaron BoonDuring the pre-game press conference at Yankee Stadium, the New York manager addressed the struggling veteran’s role in the team.
“Him and I had a lot of conversations – yesterday, today,” Boone said ahead of Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. rubber game against the Texas Rangers, which featured dj LeMahieu like the starting 3B. “We’re on the same page, and I’m not going to go into details, but it was more just him and me talking and I’m sorry it spilled over but you have important conversations with guys all time and that was the one that interfered with the meeting.”
Donaldson, 37, was not in the Yankees’ starting lineup for the third straight game.
“These guys are all going to play a lot,” Boone said. “It was something where we go into a rest day. And with JD, I was just struggling to get him out there today with the rest day or just having the full tank in the rest day and let it rip on Tuesday. So that was just a tough decision that I struggled with all day yesterday, but I want to get DJ and JD and Big G started (Giancarlo Stanton), by the way, to ride like we know they are capable of – and I expect them all to play a lot.”
Donaldson, who allegedly refused to speak to the media before the game but he will later, entered Sunday cutting .125 / .197 / .406 with six home runs and eight RBIs in 21 games this season.
“Like he plays a lot – he’s going to play a lot,” Boone said when asked what he thought Donaldson’s role was.
“He’s a player,” Boone added later, when asked if Donaldson was “unhappy with those days off.”
“He still wants to play, if he’s physically good. He wants to be there. He wants to compete. But I also feel like here this weekend is the right thing to do so that we’re going into a day off and into the trip — just my call that I felt was the best decision.”