Blue Jays' Donaldson nursing calf injury

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 13: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays exits the game with trainer George Poulos after hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning during MLB game action against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre on April 13, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.
Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

This should come as deja vu for Toronto Blue Jays fans.

Third baseman Josh Donaldson, who hasn't appeared in a spring training game since Saturday, is dealing with a calf issue. The team doesn't see it as serious, though nothing is concrete.

"Not sure," manager John Gibbons told Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith when asked about Donaldson's return to the lineup. "Next few days, I would think. We'll see."

Barring a minor-league appearance, Donaldson isn't expected to return until at least Friday's Grapefruit League contest against the Philadelphia Phillies.

His absence isn't a cause for concern, general manager Ross Atkins told John Lott of The Athletic.

"He just had a mild cramp in the game he exited due to dehydration (last Saturday). We are being conservative because it's spring training."

Related: Donaldson not worried about lack of spring at-bats

The former American League MVP missed time in 2017 due to a nagging calf issue and wasn't quite himself at the plate until the second half. He's been used sparingly this spring, going 3-for-11 in parts of seven games.

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