Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson: Determined to play through pain

Donaldson plans on playing through the pain of his jammed thumb, the Toronto Star reports.

Analysis:

With Donaldson seeing so many inside pitches of late -- jamming him -- he'd actually suffered a series of thumb strains, not all of which were previously reported. The situation became intolerable following a ninth-inning strikeout on Friday. Saturday and Sunday, Donaldson arrived early at the Rogers Centre to receive extensive treatment on the swelling, then did work in the batting cages before pronouncing himself as ready. The reigning AL MVP is known to be a tenacious competitor, and owners should continue deploying Donaldson as long as manager John Gibbons is penciling him into the lineup.