SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Yankees have seen Josh Donaldson do plenty of damage against them over the years. Saturday, the former American League MVP gave them a glimpse of the impact he can have on New York’s lineup this season.

Playing in his first spring game since being traded to the Yankees last weekend, Donaldson launched a solo home run against Orioles right-hander Garrett Farmer, a two-out blast to left-center that gave the Yankees a three-run lead in the third inning at Ed Smith Stadium.

“I’ve been putting in some work since I've been here, getting some live ABs,” said Donaldson, who finished 1-for-3 in the 3-3 tie against Baltimore. “It was nice to hit the ball hard obviously, but I'm working on things right now to prepare me for the season. I’m not really too focused on results at this point; just kind of more worried about the process and how I'm going about it.

“Especially early in Spring Training, I want to really focus on getting ready to hit and being able to trust my eyes to say no. As you could see today, I was kind of coming out swinging, trying to work through some of those at-bats. My first at-bat, I felt like I was able to see a lot of pitches. I think that helped me for the second one.”

The Yankees acquired Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt on Sunday, sending Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins. Although he’s been in camp for less than a week, Donaldson is already making an impression on his manager.

“He drove down here over an hour; might as well do something,” Aaron Boone said. “He’s looked really good here early. He’s one of the guys that's kind of stood out physically, being in a good spot. He almost looks a little locked in, so good to see that.”

Donaldson posted an .827 OPS with 26 home runs in 135 games last season, bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2020 campaign. He dealt with some hamstring and calf issues in 2021, but Donaldson is focused on keeping his lower half strong and healthy for the long season ahead.

“I feel like I'm getting a better understanding and [getting] better at what I need to do to prepare, and working on ground contact and running,” Donaldson said. “That's always been a big thing for me, but we have some guys here that really have a good understanding [of] that.”

The Yankees plan to use Giancarlo Stanton as their primary designated hitter, but Boone said he can “definitely” see Donaldson receiving the occasional DH day during the course of the season.

“We’re just working through it right now; I think they're still trying to get to know me,” Donaldson said. “I like to be on the field. I don't mind DHing whenever I feel like I need a day or something like that, where I can still help the ballclub and put some at-bats out there. For the most part I like to play the game and be involved.”

Donaldson has spent his first week at George M. Steinbrenner Field learning names and acclimating himself to his new surroundings, though he said things began to slow down for him after about three days.

The learning curve of playing with a new team will get easier for Donaldson, who is with the sixth team of his 12-year career. If he can impact the ball with the authority he did on Saturday, he will be a very important cog in the Yankees’ machine this season.

“You watch him take BP, you watch him take ground balls; I know he's 36 or whatever, but he is still a beast,” Boone said. “The biggest thing for him is going to be if he's healthy, he’s still a high-end player. That’s been apparent to me in these first few days.”