TORONTO — Reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson will have an MRI on his sore right hip, Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins said before Toronto hosted Tampa Bay in a matinee game.

Donaldson isn’t in the lineup for a third straight day. He jammed his hip stepping on first base in Sunday’s loss to Boston.

Donaldson was stuck in a career-worst seven-game hitless streak when he got hurt. He’s 0 for 23 with seven strikeouts in that span.

Atkins said Donaldson’s hip hasn’t responded to treatment, and that the three-time All-Star third baseman was “miserable” about not being able to play.

Atkins said he expects Donaldson to travel with his teammates to the West Coast following Wednesday’s game. The Blue Jays begin a four-game series against the Angels on Thursday.

Donaldson has played in 138 of Toronto’s 144 games. He’s batting .284 with 34 homers and 92 RBI.

• Former Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington was hired by the Blue Jays as vice president of baseball operations.

Toronto announced the hiring during an 8-1 loss to the Rays on Wednesday. Cherington will report to General Manager Ross Atkins.

Cherington was general manager for Boston from October 2011 until August 2015, winning the World Series in 2013 before losing seasons in 2014 and ’15. Cherington left the Red Sox last August when Boston hired Dave Dombrowski as president of baseball operations.

Toronto said Cherington will work with every department in baseball operations, with a focus on player development.

Major League Baseball’s 2017 season will open Sunday, April 2 with the New York Yankees at the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants at the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Both games will be televised by ESPN, which also will select a third game for that day.

Thirteen games are scheduled for April 3, the commissioner’s office said Wednesday as it released the 2017 schedule: Toronto at Baltimore, Pittsburgh at Boston, Philadelphia at Cincinnati, Detroit at the Chicago White Sox, Seattle at Houston, San Diego at the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado at Milwaukee, Kansas City at Minnesota, Atlanta at the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Angels at Oakland, Chicago Cubs at St. Louis, Cleveland at Texas and Miami at Washington.

The Rays will host the Oakland Athletics in a doubleheader on June 10. It will be MLB’s first scheduled doubleheader since July 16, 2011, when the A’s hosted the Angels.

Atlanta’s opener at SunTrust Park against San Diego will be April 14.

The All-Star Game will be at Miami on July 11, and the regular season is scheduled to end Oct. 1. The amateur draft is set to start June 12.

YANKEES: Rookie right fielder Aaron Judge is likely done for the regular season because of a strained oblique. Brian Cashman, New York’s general manager made the announcement.

Judge strained his right side Tuesday night taking a swing for the AL playoff contenders during a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 6-foot-7 Judge homered in his first major league at-bat on Aug. 13.

The 24-year-old was hitting .179 with four home runs and 10 RBI, while striking out 42 times in 84 at-bats.

Rob Refsnyder figures to play a lot in right field with Judge out. The Yankees also recalled outfielder Mason Williams from Triple-A before Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. Williams made his big league debut last year and has been in the minors this season.