New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson is faced with a decision regarding his future in baseball. He must determine whether he will return in 2024 or retire, thereby concluding his 13-year career. Donaldson is currently in the last season of his four-year, $92 million contract he originally signed with the Minnesota Twins.

Donaldson stated that he hasn't given this decision much thought as of yet, according to The Athletic. He emphasized the importance of assessing what would be best for him and his family. “If I feel like I still want to play and if it aligns with my family situation, then that's what I'll do,” Donaldson said.

Interestingly, the Yankees might play a crucial role in influencing Donaldson's decision.

Josh Donaldson has become injury prone

One factor that could impact Donaldson's choice is his injury history. Throughout his career, he has struggled with various injuries, hindering his performance on the field. Going back to his final season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, he played only 36 games due to a left calf injury. He was later traded to the Cleveland Guardians, where he performed well in a short span of time. However, in the ALDS against the Houston Astros, he struggled, recording just one hit in 11 at-bats. He played a total of only 52 games that season.

It took former Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, then and now with the Atlanta Braves, to give the former 2015 AL MVP a break headed out of the 2018 season. After an impressive 2019 season with the Braves, where he recorded 37 home runs, 94 RBI, and a .900 OPS in 155 games and won Comeback Player of the Year, Donaldson hasn't been able to regain his form. Since his time with the Twins the year after and then traded to the Yankees in 2022, he has played in just 355 games, hitting .229/.329/.430 with 53 home runs and 153 RBI.

This season has been no different for Donaldson, as he has battled injuries once again. He experienced a strained right hamstring that sidelined him for nearly two months to start the season. Additionally, he suffered a setback when he accidentally cut his thumb while working on a project at home, further delaying his return to the lineup. These frequent injury setbacks have undoubtedly frustrated Yankees fans and likely left manager Aaron Boone exasperated while searching for options on how to improve his lineup.

Injuries have become a recurring theme for the Yankees overall, with several of their star players spending significant time on the injured list. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, who are integral to the team's offensive success, have both faced their fair share of injury woes over the years. This continuous pattern of injuries has left the Yankees in need of reliable contributors.

Yankees need to get younger, leaving Josh Donaldson out

The Yankees find themselves trailing the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles by 10.5 games in the AL East. A comparison of the lineups among these three teams reveals that the Yankees have the oldest roster of the bunch. The Rays and Orioles have demonstrated the benefits of youthful offensive talent, with most of their everyday players in their mid-to-late 20s.

Currently, the Yankees feature six players in their lineup who are 31 years old or older, including Donaldson (37), Giancarlo Stanton (33), Aaron Judge (31), D.J. LeMahieu (34), Anthony Rizzo (33), and Kyle Higashioka (33). While veteran leadership is undoubtedly valuable, the lack of consistent availability from some of these older players has posed challenges for the Yankees. To address this lingering issue and foster more consistency, the Yankees will likely need to incorporate younger players into their roster. Consequently, this could leave Donaldson's future with the team uncertain.

Donaldson's struggles at the plate this season certainly don't help matters. With a batting average of just .151, along with six home runs and eight RBI, he is experiencing one of the worst slumps of his career. The Yankees, in their quest to make up ground in the AL East while Judge remains sidelined with a toe injury, urgently require more offensive production from players like Donaldson. This presents an opportune moment for Donaldson to prove his ability to carry a lineup and that he can still play. If he fails to deliver, the Yankees may inadvertently make his decision about returning in 2024 easier.