Josh Donaldson had a lengthy conversation with Aaron Boone after he was not in the lineup for the New York Yankees for the third consecutive game.

Afterward, Boone said that he and Donaldson are now "on the same page," and that Donaldson will be "playing a lot" as the Yankees' third baseman.

"I know the batting average since he's come back has not been great, but scratch the surface to the underlying [numbers] and he's hitting the ball hard," Boone said.

"I feel like there's a ton in there for him offensively. He's tremendous defensively at third; I don't think anyone would argue with that. I just want to get him going, because I know he can be a key figure for us."

Donaldson, 37, is slashing .125/.197/.406 with six homers and eight RBIs in 21 games this season. He is 6-for-48 (.125) since returning from a right hamstring strain on June 2.