Yankees' Josh Donaldson has high-grade strain/small tear in calf

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Before Josh Donaldson even had an MRI on his right calf, Aaron Boone didn’t sound optimistic.

“It wasn’t great,” Boone said late Saturday night in Denver after Donaldson pulled up while running to first on a groundout to short and was removed from the game.

Donaldson went for an MRI on Sunday and the results backed up Boone’s intuition. The test revealed a high-grade strain/small tear of his calf muscle.

Though no one is declaring Donaldson out for the season, it is not a stretch to speculate about whether he has played his final game as a Yankee.

“We’ll see,” Boone said of Donaldson returning this season. “Obviously, a high-grade strain in there. That’s going to take a decent amount of time. We’ll see as the weeks unfold here.”

Donaldson, who is hitting .142 — 10 of his 15 hits have been home runs — said on Monday that he’s trying to stay positive but understands the calendar is his enemy.

“We’re getting to the point in the season where it’s late in the year and running out of games and, really, time,” said Donaldson, 37. “But my mindset is to try and stay as positive as I can with it and take it to where I’m trying to make small improvements daily.”

The Yankees have a club option on Donaldson for 2024, but there was little to no chance they would pick it up even before the injury.

Oswald Peraza, called up to replace Donaldson, started Monday night at third base and batted leadoff.

Peraza, 23, is a natural shortstop — rival scouts and talent evaluators generally agree he is the best at the position in the Yankees’ system — but he will see time at second, third and short.

“I’ll play him at all of those,” Boone said. “If I give Anthony [Volpe] a day [off], he’ll play short. I feel good anywhere in the infield with him with a glove on. He’s pretty skilled out there.”

Cortes set for rehab assignment

Nestor Cortes, out since June 5 with a strained left rotator cuff, threw a 35-pitch simulated game at Angel Stadium on Monday afternoon.

“Nestor did good,” Boone said.

The manager said Cortes “probably” will start a rehab assignment Saturday, with an affiliate to be determined.

Judge takes more BP

Aaron Judge started taking batting practice on the field over the weekend in Denver, a first during his rehab from a sprained right big toe, and did so again Monday in Anaheim.

Judge participated in Cortes’ simulated game but did not swing, tracking pitches instead, which was by design.

“He just wanted to track,” said Boone, adding that Judge did some light running, which he also did in Denver.

There remains no timetable for Judge’s return to the Yankees’ lineup.