Adrian Beltre, Josh Donaldson leave Game 1 of ALDS with injuries

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays and Rangers have each lost their star third basemen in the first five innings of Thursday’s playoff opener.

Texas’ Adrian Beltre exited in the third inning with lower back stiffness, just minutes after delivered a sharply struck line-drive single to plate Texas’ second run.

Toronto’s Josh Donaldson, co-favorite for the AL MVP, was pinch-hit for by Ezequiel Carrera in the fifth inning after being struck in the head an inning prior. After he reached first on a walk, Jose Bautista grounded into what could have been a double play if not for Donaldson’s hard slide into Texas second baseman Rougned Odor, although he took an inadvertent knee to the head for his troubles. The club later announced that Donaldson was removed for “precautionary” reasons.

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Beltre, a veteran with more than 400 home runs and four Gold Gloves, limped his way to first as Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar threw home in a failed attempt to nab Delino DeShields before he scored to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead in Game 1 of their American League Division Series.

Manager Jeff Bannister and the trainer visited Beltre at first base after the hit, and the player talked his way into remaining in the game. Rookie Hanser Alberto replaced Beltre in the field, however, for the bottom of the third. He’s played only 25 full innings at the position in the majors and is a .222 hitter with zero career home runs. Beltre batted .287 this season with 18 homers.

The severity of the injury is unclear. The Rangers’ top hitting prospect, Joey Gallo, is a third baseman who homered six times in 36 games, but he did not make the postseason roster and is working out at the club’s facility in Arizona. Should Beltre need a week or two to recover, the club could summon Gallo to take his spot on the roster, although that would render Beltre ineligible through the end of the next round, the ALCS. No one else on the postseason roster has any third-base experience.

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Donaldson hit 41 doubles 41 home runs while leading the AL in runs (122), RBI (123) and total bases (352) and ranking third in OPS (.939). Cliff Pennington entered the game at third base.

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