Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Likely done for season
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Donovan is expected to play only in an emergency during the Cardinals' final series of the season against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports
Donovan is banged up, tending to general soreness and a groin injury. Now that the Cardinals are eliminated from the postseason, the club has no incentive to put him on the lineup card over the final few games. While Donovan is idle, look for Nolan Gorman or Jose Fermin to handle second base duties. Donovan will likely end the season with a .287/.353/.422 slash line, 10 home runs, 50 RBI and 64 runs in 515 plate appearances.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Idle Friday
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Donovan is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.
Donovan has been battling general soreness and a minor groin injury this week, and he'll get the day off Friday to rest. In his place, Nolan Gorman will bat fifth and play second base.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Four doubles in win
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Donovan went 4-for-5 with four doubles, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 9-8 win over the Giants.
Donovan missed Monday's game due to groin tightness, but he was able to get cleared in time to play Tuesday. He played a vital role in the Cardinals' offense in this game with the quartet of two-baggers. He's up to 31 doubles on the year, which is three shy of his career-high total from 153 games last season. Donovan has added a .287/.354/.421 slash line with 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 63 runs scored and three stolen bases over 117 contests in 2025.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Late addition to lineup
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Donovan (groin) will start at second base and bat leadoff Tuesday against the Giants, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan was left off the first iteration of St. Louis' lineup Tuesday, but he's now been cleared to play after sitting out Monday's game with groin tightness. The 28-year-old has slashed .321/.367/.500 over 30 plate appearances since returning from the injured list Sept. 12.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Not in Tuesday's lineup
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Donovan (groin) isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
The Cardinals expected Donovan to return to the starting nine Tuesday after he was scratched Monday with a groin injury, but he'll instead take another day to recover while Jose Fermin starts at the keystone. With just five games left on the regular-season schedule and St. Louis flirting with elimination from postseason contention, the Cardinals may opt to shut Donovan down for the rest of the year if his condition doesn't improve soon.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Activated from 10-day IL
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The Cardinals activated Donovan (groin) from the 10-day injured list Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan missed just under a month of action with a left groin strain, but he's ready to go after playing two rehab games with Double-A Springfield. The 28-year-old will regain his role as the Cardinals' everyday second baseman, which will likely push Thomas Saggese back to the bench most days.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Could be activated this weekend
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Donovan (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Tuesday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list for this weekend's series in Milwaukee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Donovan took live batting practice Monday without issue and is slated to play six innings at second base in his first rehab game with Springfield on Tuesday. He will play at least one additional rehab game after that, and, if all goes well, might be back in the Cardinals lineup for their series opener Friday against the Brewers. Donovan has been sidelined since mid-August with a left groin strain.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Lands on IL with groin strain
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The Cardinals placed Donovan on the 10-day injured list Monday with a left groin strain.
The Cardinals played a man short over the weekend with the hope that Donovan would be ready to return to the lineup early this week. However, he was ultimately not able to show enough improvement to avoid a stint on the IL. Donovan's IL placement is retroactive to Friday, so he will be eligible for activation Aug. 25. Thomas Saggese should continue to see the bulk of the playing time at second base in Donovan's stead.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Scratched with injury
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Donovan was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Yankees due to a foot injury, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan missed a few games earlier in the week due to groin soreness, which reportedly was a direct result of his injured foot. Manager Oliver Marmol said there's a chance the 28-year-old's foot ends up keeping him sidelined for multiple days, but he doesn't seem ticketed for the injured list at the moment.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Delivers clutch hit off bench
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Donovan (groin) recorded a two-RBI double in a pinch-hit appearance Monday against the Rockies.
Donovan was called upon in the bottom of the eighth inning and put his club ahead with a clutch double. The 28-year-old hadn't taken an at-bat since Friday due to a left groin injury, but if he emerges from Monday's matchup feeling healthy, there's a chance he could return to the starting lineup Tuesday.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Returns to Cardinals' lineup
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Donovan (personal) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's game versus the Dodgers.
Donovan had to be scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Padres due to a family emergency, but he has rejoined the Cardinals and is ready to go for Monday's series opener in Los Angeles. The All-Star has been scuffling at the plate lately, going 2-for-26 over his last 30 plate appearances.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Late scratch Sunday
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Donovan was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres due to a family emergency, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan was penciled in atop the lineup for the series finale in San Diego, but he'll instead be unavailable while he address a personal matter. It's unclear if the situation will affect his availability beyond Sunday's contest.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Leads off game with long ball
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Donovan went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks, two total runs and two total RBI in Saturday's 9-6 victory versus the Guardians.
Donovan set the tone for the high-scoring matchup when he led off the contest with a 391-foot homer. The versatile veteran added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning while also drawing multiple free passes for just the third time this season. Donovan has been slumping of late, batting just .158 (6-for-38) over his past 10 games, but he's still hitting a strong .302 on the campaign.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Swats homer in victory
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Donovan went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's 8-2 win over the Cubs.
The Cardinals slugged four two-run homers off Chicago starter Ben Brown, with Donovan's coming in the fifth frame. It was a rare show of power by the utility man, as he had gone 17 games without hitting a long ball and has just five homers on the campaign. Nonetheless, Donovan has been a key part of the Cardinals' offense this season, slashing .307/.375/.437 with 29 RBI, 42 runs scored and three stolen bases through 71 games.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Sitting out first game of day
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Donovan is not in the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the White Sox.
The Cardinals will go with Nolan Gorman at second base in the first game of the twin bill. Donovan should be back in the lineup for the second game of the day.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Four hits Tuesday
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Donovan went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.
Donovan paced the Cardinals in hits on a night they put up 12 runs. He's having a breakout campaign on offense and currently leads National League second basemen in numerous hitting categories. For the season, he's slashing .323/.388/.451 with four homers, 27 RBI, 38 runs, three steals and a 22:39 BB:K in 287 plate appearances.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Expected back Sunday
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Donovan (toe) expects to return to the lineup Sunday versus the Brewers, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan took batting practice and fielded ground balls Saturday and was pain-free afterward. He will wear a carbon-fiber orthotic in his shoe in the short term, but it appears that he will avoid a stint on the injured list after missing the past four games.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Remaining out Saturday
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Donovan (toe) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Brewers.
Saturday marks Donovan's fourth consecutive absence from the starting lineup due to a sprained big toe on his left foot. The Cards are expected to decide Sunday whether he needs to spend time on the injured list, and until he returns, Nolan Gorman will continue to start at second base.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: IL decision likely coming Sunday
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The Cardinals are likely to decide Sunday whether Donovan (toe) needs to go on the 10-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Donovan has missed three straight games with a sprained left big toe and it sounds like he's a long shot to return to action Saturday. The Cardinals are willing to play a man short through the weekend if it means Donovan can avoid the IL and play Tuesday following Monday's off day, but an IL stint remains a possibility. Nolan Gorman will continue to fill in at second base while Donovan is shelved.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Goes through light workout
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Donovan (toe) went through a light pregame workout Thursday and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol indicated the second baseman "felt a lot better," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Donovan exited Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays and didn't play Wednesday or Thursday due to a sprained left big toe. While he appears to be on the mend, the Cardinals do not plan to play shorthanded much longer. A decision on whether Donovan needs a stint on the 10-day injured list is expected to be made soon.
