He was a first baseman who appeared in 33 Major League Baseball games as a member of the 1969 New York Yankees and 1971 Montreal Expos.

He batted left-handed, threw right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and 215 pounds (98 kg).

Born in New Albany, Indiana, McDonald graduated from high school in Grand Island, Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

In nine games, six as the Bronx Bombers' starting first baseman and three as a pinch hitter, he collected three hits and batted .217.

The Expos called him up in June of 1971, and in his second game in a Montreal uniform, he hit his only big-league home run (off Rick Wise of the Philadelphia Phillies at Jarry Park).