The American League playoffs won't start for another few weeks, but the Cleveland Indians have already managed to upset a pair of fellow contenders.
According to a new report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have "voiced displeasure to Major League Baseball about the events that occurred before and after" the Indians acquisition of Josh Donaldson from the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 31.
The Indians acquired Donaldson via trade just in time to make the 2015 AL MVP eligible for their postseason roster. Per Rosenthal, the Yankees and Red Sox were upset that Donaldson, who has not played in a Major League contest since May 28 due to a calf injury, was ruled healthy enough to be placed on waivers and subsequently traded, but not healthy enough to play for Cleveland immediately.
Last week, Donaldson was placed on the 10-day disabled list before beginning a rehab assignment in which he's played for both Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron.
The Astros reportedly also asked the commissioner's office for clarification on why the deal was allowed and were satisfied with the explanation. With both team's trailing Boston by at least nine games in the American League standings, Cleveland and Houston will likely meet in the divisional round of postseason play.
Donaldson arrived in Cleveland following a dispute with Toronto over the severity of his injury. The 3-time All-Star initially began his rehab assignment in the Blue Jays minor league system, appearing in two games, including one on the same day he was traded to the Tribe.
The 32-year-old third baseman is set to become a free agent following the 2018 campaign. According to Rosenthal, the Indians were granted permission to speak to Donaldson after agreeing to terms of a deal in order to alleviate concerns they would play him right away.
Since beginning his rehab assignment for Cleveland last week, Donaldson has been more than impressive, hitting a grand slam in Columbus and another home run in Akron. The Indians', whose magic number to clinch a third straight American League Central title is down to five, are expected to activate Donaldson on Tuesday.
