Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson fields a ball hit by the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 22, 2016, in Minneapolis. The Blue Jays won 3-1. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Josh Donaldson Injury: Updates on Blue Jays Star's Thumb and Return

Joseph ZuckerAug 17, 2016

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson exited Aug. 17's game against the New York Yankees with a thumb injury. However, he's ready to return.

Continue for updates.

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The Blue Jays announced Donaldson is in the starting lineup against Cleveland.

Donaldson Providing Another Consistent Year at the Plate

Donaldson is having another MVP-caliber season with a .289/.399/.556 slash line and 28 home runs with 6.2 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

In addition to being one of the most consistent third basemen in MLB over the past few years, Donaldson has been durable. He appeared in 158 games in each season from 2013 to 2015.

And before Aug. 17's injury, Donaldson showed few signs of bucking the trend. He played through a strained calf in April and a jammed thumb in June. Otherwise, his health hasn't presented Toronto with many problems.

As a whole, the Blue Jays have climbed back into the thick of the American League East race. They enter play on Sunday with a 70-53 record, 2.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles and 0.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the division.