Twins' Josh Donaldson blasts pitchers' use of foreign substances as 'performance-enhancing'

Josh Donaldson hit a pair of home runs Thursday in the Twins' loss in Kansas City, and you can count him among those who want to see more action in the game — and more penalties to pitchers who are using foreign substances to increase spin rates on pitches.

Major League Baseball owners this week were exploring ways to crack down on doctoring the ball, which the outspoken third baseman suggested Friday was a major reason behind the highest strikeout rate and lowest batting average in MLB history.

"Here's the deal — hitters have never really cared about sunscreen, rosin and pine tar," Donaldson said. "We haven't cared about that because it's not a performance enhancement. What these guys are doing now are performance-enhancing, to where it is an actual superglue-type of ordeal, to where it's not about command anymore.

"Now, it's about who's throwing the nastiest pitches, the more unhittable pitches. … This is going to be the next steroids of baseball ordeal, because it is cheating and it is performance-enhancing. The only way they get it through and to get it out of the game is if they get checked every half-inning. If a new pitcher comes out, they get checked immediately by the umpire. Once they start doing that, it'll be gone, and you're going to start seeing offense come back into the game."

Donaldson was more than happy to throw shade on big names, too.

"Is it coincidence that [Yankees pitcher] Gerrit Cole's spin rate numbers went down yesterday after four minor leaguers got suspended for 10 games?" Donaldson said. "I don't know. Maybe. [Dodgers pitcher] Trevor Bauer has been vocal about, 'Hey, these are the substances that guys mix together.' Well, now, as a pitcher, if you sit here and say, 'Oh, hey, these guys are getting away with it, this guy's getting $325 million, this guy's getting paid, this guy's doing this, they're not cracking down on it, why wouldn't I do it?'

"In 2017, there were four pitchers that had a spin rate on their fastballs of 2400 rpm or more. Now, that's league average. So think about that. You think everybody before 2017 was throwing the baseball wrong? No.

"To give you another little tidbit … in 2012, I think there were 700 sliders that were thrown at 90 mph or more. The league is on pace right now for 4,000. So the better you can grip that thing, the harder you can throw it."

With the Twins in last place in the AL Central, Donaldson acknowledged the team might make trades this summer.

"All the front-office stuff, the front-office moves, that's not in our control," he said. "We have to try to focus on the things we can control, and that's not one of them.

"If that's something that has to happen, if that's the direction that does happen, I hope there's good communication between all the parties. At the end of the day, we're playing for the Minnesota Twins and we're trying to win games here."

Gilberto Celestino, a 21-year-old center fielder playing in his second major league game, committed two errors on one play in Thursday's loss, giving the Royals their go-ahead run. He cut in front of left fielder Trevor Larnach and dropped a fly ball, then threw off target to the infield as Jarrod Dyson scored from second base.

"That's more of a put your arm around him, keep his confidence level going, get him back out there today, let him go out there and play in center field again, go do his thing," said manager Rocco Baldelli. "That's not necessarily like a huge, long discussion or really even a long teaching moment. It's more of a learning moment."

Said Donaldson: "He's definitely major league-ready to play defense. He just got caught up in the moment of wanting to do a little too much."

• Starter Kenta Maeda, on the injured list because of a groin injury, threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and will have another session Sunday before he comes off the IL.

• Baldelli said center fielder Byron Buxton, sidelined because of a hip flexor injury, is able to sprint, but there's no timetable for his return. Right fielder Max Kepler (hamstring) is on track for a return next week, but utility man Luis Arraez is still not able to throw comfortably as he recovers from a shoulder mishap.

• Shortstop Andrelton Simmons wasn't in the starting lineup for a third consecutive day because of an ankle injury.

• Former Royals standout pitcher Tom "Flash" Gordon was in the stands to watch his son, Nick, play for the Twins for the first time.