The Milwaukee Brewers decided, on August 31, to take a chance on third baseman Josh Donaldson and signed him to a minor league contract.
They knew the Andruw Monasterio-Brice Turang infield combo was struggling, so bringing in more competition couldn’t hurt.
Donaldson is 37 now and well past his prime, but the Brewers are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle here.
Of course, Donaldson was released by the Yankees for a reason.
He was slightly below average offensively last season, and a total disaster this season with a .142 batting average.
10 of his 15 hits left the yard, though, and that’s the kind of power impact the Brewers would love to have (with a higher batting average, of course).
Donaldson played five games with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, and even though his numbers didn’t pop out, he did hit two homers in his last two games.
“Josh Donaldson brought the rain with homers in his last two @nashvillesounds games,” Minor League Baseball tweeted.
Josh Donaldson brought the rain with homers in his last two @nashvillesounds games ⛈️ https://t.co/9b09pyv6O3 pic.twitter.com/5bhJskp3d0
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 11, 2023
Overall, he went 3-for-17 with the Sounds, with two homers and five walks.
It did look like he was starting to find his swing in his last two games, though.
If the Brewers can get him to be an average hitter at third base, he could have an impact with his power and good defense.
That’s the key: his overall offensive output being at least average.
That would probably make it all worthwhile for Milwaukee.
Let’s remember that Donaldson has had two significant lower-body injuries this year, in the form of hamstring and calf strains.
In reality, anything they can get out of him at this point should be considered a bonus.
NEXT: Brewers Make A Roster Decision On Josh Donaldson
