Donovan (groin) said Saturday that he was feeling good and that his imaging came back clean, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Donovan landed awkwardly on the first-base bag Friday while attempting to leg out an infield single, which led to his departure from the contest. He underwent imaging but suggested it was mostly precautionary after he underwent sports hernia surgery at the end of last season. While Donovan was held out of the lineup Saturday, he went through agility work pregame and doesn't currently appear in danger of missing extended time.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Undergoes imaging, still day-to-day
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Donovan (groin) underwent imaging Saturday and remains day-to-day for the time being, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Seattle's medical staff will go over the results of the imaging, at which point the team will have a better idea of the situation. Per Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com, manager Dan Wilson said Donovan was moving around well Saturday after the groin injury forced the second baseman from Friday's game. Donovan was off to a great start to begin his Mariners career, going 10-for-27 with two homers and a stolen base in eight games.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Donovan (leg) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Angels.
Donovan injured his left leg while attempting beat out an infield hit, and the Mariners will hold him out of Saturday's game to give him a chance to recover. Leo Rivas will man the hot corner in Donovan's stead and bat ninth.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Makes early exit Friday
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Donovan was removed from Friday's game against the Angels with a potential leg injury, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Donovan landed awkwardly on first base while attempting to leg out an infield single in the seventh inning and was replaced on defense to begin the bottom of the frame. The Mariners haven't officially announced that Donovan is dealing with an injury, but it's still possible the 29-year-old tweaked something during the play. If so, Leo Rivas may get an opportunity to start at third base, or the team could bring up Colt Emerson for his MLB debut.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Hot start with new team
Rotowire
Donovan went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Guardians.
The 29-year-old utility man is off to a fast start in his new digs, recording two homers, four RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base across his first 14 at-bats with the Mariners. Donovan has hit leadoff in three games as opposed to sixth in the lineup in one contest, and his fantasy value should benefit if he continues to bat first going forward, which he should do against right-handed pitchers.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Homer, double in Mariners debut
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Donovan went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Guardians.
Donovan got the Mariners offense going in his first regular-season at-bat with the team, as he led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run off Tanner Bibee, tying the game at 1-1. Donovan picked up where he left off in spring training, when he slashed .413/.491/.543 across 57 plate appearances. The 29-year-old is expected to open the year as Seattle's primary third baseman and leadoff batter.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Four more hits Sunday
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Donovan went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Reds.
Donvovan has hit the ground running this spring, batting .452 (14-for-31) with a pair of stolen bases through his first 11 Cactus League games. The 29-year-old Donovan figures to be a fixture at the top of Seattle's batting order this season after he slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 homers and three stolen bases in 515 plate appearances with St. Louis last year.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Two hits in spring debut
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Donovan made his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the White Sox. He started at third base and went 2-for-2 with a run scored.
It's an encouraging start to the spring for Donovan, who's expected to open the year as Seattle's primary third baseman and leadoff hitter. Donovan, who was acquired from St. Louis earlier in February, slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 homers across 118 games in 2025.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Likely to play third base
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The Mariners tentatively plan for Donovan to be their primary third baseman in 2026 but will move him around the diamond based on matchups, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Cole Young is the favorite to start at second base, though if Colt Emerson outplays him in spring training, the Mariners could go with Emerson at third base and Donovan at second. Donovan is also expected to bat leadoff against both righties and lefties. Acquired from the Cardinals in a trade earlier this week, Donovan sported a .287/.353/.422 batting line with 10 home runs and 32 doubles over 118 contests last season.
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Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Bound for Seattle
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The Mariners acquired Donovan from the Cardinals on Monday as part of a three-team deal involving the Rays, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The Cardinals will receive Jurrangelo Cijntje and Tai Peete from the Mariners and Colton Ledbetter and a compensatory draft pick from the Rays. Ben Williamson will go to Tampa Bay. Second base is Donovan's primary position, but he is also an option to see playing time at third base for Seattle and is a good bet to bat leadoff. Donovan slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 homers over 118 contests for the Cardinals in 2025 and is under team control through the 2027 campaign.
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Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Undergoes sports hernia surgery
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Donovan underwent surgery Oct. 7 to repair a sports hernia, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Donovan had dealt with a nagging groin issue for much of the second half before eventually being shut down. Last week's operation should not affect his availability for the beginning of spring training, barring any setbacks. Donovan made his first All-Star team in 2025, finishing with a .287/.353/.422 batting line, 10 home runs and 32 doubles over 118 contests.
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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: 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
Rotowire
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.
