Yankees’ Josh Donaldson Downplays Pregame Meeting With Aaron Boone

The third baseman addressed his meeting with the New York manager on Sunday.

Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game on Sunday. 

Prior to New York’s matchup against the Rangers, manager Aaron Boone was late to his pregame media address. As it turns out, Boone and Donaldson were in what the Yankees skipper described as an “important” meeting.

Following the win over Texas, Donaldson was asked about the meeting with Boone, which he downplayed as being “a lot of ball talk.”

“Just a lot of ball talk and just kind of talking, you know? We talk often actually, it’s not abnormal for us to have conversations,” Donaldson said to reporters.

Josh Donaldson said his long meeting with Aaron Boone this morning was just “a lot of ball talk.” #Yankees
pic.twitter.com/bCo1OkpIw9

— Bronx Bombers News (@NewsBronx) June 25, 2023

“We’re on the same page, and I’m not going to get into that much, but it was more just him and I talking,” Boone said.

“This was something where we're going into an off day. And with J.D., I was just wrestling with getting him back in there today with the off day or just having the full-fledged going into the off day and let it rip on Tuesday,” he said, regarding Donaldson’s latest absence.

The Yankees start a series against the Athletics on Tuesday, at which point Boone indicated Donaldson would be making a return to the lineup.

“As playing a lot—he’s going to play a lot,” Boone said in regard to Donaldson’s role with the team. 

The 37-year-old has featured 21 games this season, slashing .125/.197/.406. He has just eight hits on the year, including six home runs.