Josh Donaldson was back in Minnesota on Tuesday for the first time since the Twins traded him to the New York Yankees in March, as the Bombers began a three-game series at Target Field.
Donaldson played parts of two seasons with the Twins before he was dealt just before the start of this year. He appeared in 163 games for the Twins with a .263 batting average and 83 RBIs.
The Yankees brought in Donaldson via the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to Minnesota.
“I had a good time there and they’re having success and I’m happy for them,” Donaldson said about his return. “Derek (Falvey) and Thad (Levine) do a great job running that organization and I wish them nothing but success, just not against us.”
Since arriving in the Bronx, Donaldson has appeared in 40 games for the Yankees and has hit .229 this season. On Sunday, he hit a game-winning sacrifice fly as the Yankees won their sixth straight game.
The Yankees are Donaldson’s fifth team in his last five seasons and his time in the Bronx has been an interesting one. He missed two weeks with shoulder inflammation that landed him on the injured list and then found himself in hot water after comments made to Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox.
He was handed a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from Major League Baseball for the incident.
As for his shoulder, he told reporters on Sunday that it had felt great.
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“It responded really well and defensively I feel a lot better,” Donaldson said. “To where the throw becomes the easier part. I’m happy about where I’m at and where my body is at and I’m glad that we’re winning baseball games.”
The Yankees will have a quick trip out to Minnesota before returning after Thursday’s game to face the Chicago Cubs and open another six-game homestand.
