Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on from the top step of the dugout as he sits out his second straight game on September 13, 2016 at Rogers Centre.Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
Reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson will have an MRI on his injured right hip on Wednesday.
Donaldson was not in the starting lineup for Toronto's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, sitting out his third straight game with the injury.
"I think Josh probably felt that he would recover sooner than it has and it hasn't," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said. "We'll get an MRI today and do everything we can to make sure he's on the field as soon as possible."
Manager John Gibbons had said on Tuesday night that Donaldson jammed his hip while running to first base during Sunday's 11-8 home loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Donaldson missed Toronto's 3-2 win over Tampa on Monday night and Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rays.
Ryan Goins started at third base in place of Donaldson while outfielder Michael Saunders hit in the No. 2 spot in the lineup against Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb.
Atkins said that while the team is happy with their depth at third base — Darwin Barney can also play there and started at third the last two games — they don't want to see Donaldson have to sit out an extended period.
"He's obviously a special player, he's integral to this team. You can't prepare to lose a player of that calibre and level," Atkins said. "However, it does take 40 players, it takes 25 players, it takes a team to win.
"We do have depth in those areas and feel good about our options, but this guy's the reigning MVP."
Donaldson, who's hitless in a career-worst seven games, going 0 for 23 with seven strikeouts in that span, is batting .284 with 34 homers and 92 RBIs through 138 games.
Toronto opened play Wednesday tied with Baltimore for the first AL wild card and two games back of Boston for the AL East division lead.
Atkins said the concerns surrounding the way Toronto has played lately are "obvious but short-term."
"This is a well-balanced team, a team that's done a lot of things well over the course of the year," he continued. "Right now we're obviously not clicking on all cylinders. ... I won't make any excuses by any means, we need to be better than we are today but you can't point to one aspect of our team or point to one person."