On Friday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said third baseman Josh Donaldson was “working towards” returning from an injury. On Tuesday, the Yankees announced they had released the former Auburn standout.

Donaldson did not play between April 5 and June 2 this season and had been out since July 15 because of a calf strain in his right leg. Donaldson was on the 60-day injured list, and he would have been eligible to return on Sept. 15.

“He’s working towards a potential rehab assignment sometime soon,” Boone said. “It’s definitely a possibility.”

Instead, the Yankees owe Donaldson $6 million for letting him go. The contract that paid Donaldson $21 million in 2023 — a four-year, $92 million signed with the Minnesota Twins before the 2020 season — included a $6 million buyout for 2024.

Donaldson played in only 33 games in 2023, the third injury-affected season in his past six. Donaldson played in 52 games in 2018 and 28 in 2020.

Donaldson hit 10 home runs in 106 at-bats this season. But he had only five other hits – four singles and one double – as he posted a .142 batting average.

Donaldson was an American League All-Star in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He led the American League with 122 runs, 123 RBIs and 352 total bases in 2015, when he won the AL Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 1,366 MLB regular-season games, Donaldson has a .262 batting average, .359 on-base average, .491 slugging percentage and 276 home runs.

An All-State football and baseball player at Faith Academy in Mobile, Donaldson was a catcher at Auburn and left the Tigers as the 48th selection in the 2007 draft.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.