Donald has delivered a mixed bag offensively and defensively for the Indians since being promoted from Class AAA Columbus on May 18.
Jason Donald has proven he's willing to accept the physical contact that goes with playing the middle infield. But he has committed 11 errors in his rookie season. But that hasn't lessened his belief in his ability to be a full-time regular in the majors.ON DECK: INDIANS AT ROYALS
When: Tuesday through Thursday.
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Series: Royals lead, 3-2, this season. Indians lead, 275-267, all-time.
Pitching matchups: RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (7-11, 3.99) Tuesday at 8:10; RHP Fausto Carmona (11-10, 3.87) vs. LHP Bruce Chen (7-6, 4.50) Wednesday at 8:10 p.m.; RHP Mitch Talbot (8-10, 4.25) vs. RHP Kyle Davies (6-7, 5.22) Thursday at 8:10 p.m.
Indians update: Indians are coming off a 3-6 homestand, losing three series, 2-1. They defeated Mariners and Felix Hernandez, 9-1, Sunday. Travis Hafner hit a grand slam. Jayson Nix and Michael Brantley also homered. ... Tribe won two of three in Kauffman Stadium, May 11-13. Carmona defeated Davies, 4-0, May 12. ... SS Asdrubal Cabrera is 10-for-23 in his last six games.
Royals update: They split a four-game series at home against the Yankees, ending Sunday. They won, 1-0, in the finale. ... Greinke beat Indians, 6-4, May 13. He is the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner. ... Royals have scored three or fewer runs in 11 of 14 games in August. ... Closer Joakim Soria is 0-2 with 33 saves and a 2.02 ERA.
Injuries: Indians — RHP Anthony Reyes (elbow), LHP Aaron Laffey (shoulder), OF Grady Sizemore (left knee) and C Carlos Santana (left knee) are on disabled list. Royals — INF Josh Fields (right hip), OF David DeJesus (right thumb), RHP Gil Meche (shoulder), RHP Luke Hochevar (elbow) and RHP Robinson Tejeda (biceps) are on disabled list.
Next for Indians: Trip continues with three-game series against Detroit beginning Friday.
— Dennis Manoloff
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Donald respectfully labels it clutter.
It is the noise that comes from baseball insiders who already have made up their minds about him -- specifically, that he is destined to be a utility infielder in the majors.
"How many years have I played in the big leagues?" he said.
He knows the answer is months, not years. Four months.
"In the big leagues, you're under a microscope and you're going to get picked apart," Donald said. "You've just got to be mentally tough and fight through it. I absolutely believe I can be an everyday player. If I didn't, I shouldn't be here."
Donald has delivered a mixed bag offensively and defensively for the Indians since being promoted from Class AAA Columbus on May 18. He is batting .258 with 23 extra-base hits, 18 walks and 48 strikeouts in 68 games. He has made 11 errors.
Donald has started 43 games at shortstop, the vast majority coming when Asdrubal Cabrera was sidelined because of a fractured left forearm from mid-May to mid-July, and 23 at second base. If Donald is going to be a regular in Cleveland, it will be as a second baseman.
"Playing at this level on an everyday basis, the learning curve shoots up tremendously," he said. "It's a world of difference from Triple-A. I've made a lot of adjustments and feel like I've improved in all aspects, but it's not going to happen all at once. You wish it could, but it doesn't work that way. I need to be patient."
At the same time, Donald, 25, understands the sense of urgency that comes with being a young major leaguer with something to prove. If the proving doesn't happen fast enough, somebody else will be more than happy to take the spot.
On the current Tribe roster, Luis Valbuena and Jayson Nix are competition for Donald. Valbuena was the regular second baseman at the outset of the season following a decent second half last year as a rookie. Valbuena lost his job to Mark Grudzielanek, was sent to Columbus on June 24 and returned July 28. Valbuena has struggled mightily at the plate all year in Cleveland, hitting .163 in 59 games.
Donald unofficially beat out Nix at second once Cabrera returned from the DL. Nix, who has started at second, third, left and DH for the Tribe, is hitting .238 in 61 games. He has 10 homers in 185 official trips.
The farm system might provide Donald's biggest near-future challenges -- provided, of course, the cash-starved Indians don't suddenly stumble into pots 'o gold at Progressive Field and shell out for free agents.
At Columbus, Cord Phelps is on fire after playing well at Class AA Akron earlier in the season. Phelps, a third-round pick in 2008 out of Stanford, entered Monday hitting .333 with 37 runs in 52 games for the Clippers.
At Akron, Jason Kipnis is on fire after playing well at advanced-Class A Kinston earlier this season. Kipnis, a second-round pick in 2009 out of Arizona State, entered Monday hitting .339 with 47 runs in 56 games for the Aeros.
Donald, a third-round pick by Philadelphia in 2006 out of Arizona, does not need to be told about prospects smelling major-league jobs. At the beginning of this season, he was considered the likely next in line if Valbuena faltered.
"It's everywhere -- not just here," said Donald, acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade last July. "New York, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Boston. It's the nature of the beast. I can't worry about it.
"What I can do is compete. I can only promise myself one thing in this game: That I'm going to work hard and get after it. If you promise yourself that you'll be relentless, you can live with how it all shakes out."
This pro season marked the first that Donald, a natural shortstop, logged significant time at second. He has shown steady improvement as instincts have begun to supplement athleticism.
"Jason's always been a shortstop, but I think he's well-suited for second," said Indians third-base coach Steve Smith, who doubles as infield-defense coordinator. "He's a good athlete and a quick learner."