Donaldson aggravates calf injury, will be re-evaluated Friday

The Toronto Blue Jays can't buy a break.

In addition to losing another close game to start the season at 1-8, star third baseman Josh Donaldson was forced to leave Thursday's game after aggravating a lingering calf injury that has relegated him to designated hitter duties this week.

After the game, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons confirmed Donaldson re-injured his right calf and that he'd be evaluated on Friday morning.

"It's the same calf," Gibbons said, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. "There's always concern. It's basically the same injury. But tomorrow, after he sleeps on it overnight, we'll have a better idea."

He first suffered the injury before spring-training games began during sprinting drills. He didn't make his spring-training debut until mid-March, appearing in only eight games.

Despite his calf's insistence on bothering him, Donaldson has been the Blue Jays' lone bright spot on an ineffective offense. He's hitting .310 with two home runs, and drove in Toronto's lone run Thursday on the same play that chased him from action.