ST. LOUIS – A groin strain – much like the one that plagued Brendan Donovan near the end of his career with the Cardinals late in the 2025 season and ultimately led to corrective surgery over the winter – will prevent the All-Star utility fielder from playing this weekend when the Mariners face St. Louis in a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

Donovan, St. Louis’ lone All-Star in 2025, almost assuredly would have received a warm welcome from fans in St. Louis who appreciated his gritty style of play and his all-out, hair-flying hustle while wearing the birds on the bat across his chest.

Donovan, 29, was dealt to the Mariners in February as part of the Cardinals’ plans to rebuild their roster around their young core and prospects who might blossom in the future when the franchise is ready to compete again. In addition to receiving right-handed starter Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 5-ranked prospect in Cards system, per MLB Pipeline), slugging speedster Tai Peete (No. 18) and outfielder Colton Ledbetter (not ranked), the Cards also got two compensatory Round B picks from the Mariners and Rays with which to future stock their Minor League system with prospects.

Donovan has been limited to 18 games because of a left groin strain that landed him on the 10-day Injured List on April 20. In his time with the struggling Mariners, Donovan has slashed .304/.437/.518/.955 with three doubles, three homers, eight RBI and nine walks. He’s also been hit by five pitches, which ranks at the top of the American League.

A standout utility fielder in St. Louis – the spot where he won a Gold Glove in 2022 and was a finalist in 2024 – Donovan has played exclusively at third base this season for the Mariners. He has struggled there defensively, committing four errors among the 43 total chances he’s had thus far at the hot corner.

Willson Contreras, who was traded from the Cardinals to the Red Sox last December, was recently given an approximate 30-second standing ovation by fans at Busch Stadium when Boston visited St. Louis for a three-game series. Sonny Gray, who was shipped from the Cards to the Red Sox in a different deal, likely would have received a similarly warm ovation had he pitched during the series. And Nolan Arenado, who was dealt to the D-backs to end his five-year stint with the Cards, undoubtedly will be cheered upon returning to St. Louis in late June.

Donovan’s ovation, however, might have been the loudest and most heartfelt considering the connection he made with Cardinals fans in his four seasons in St. Louis. Whether it was his work away from the baseball field with former military veterans or his hustling style of play, Cardinals fans adored Donovan in ways that they haven’t with any other player since the retirements of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright in 2022 and ’23.

Donovan became the first rookie in the rich history of the Cardinals to win a Gold Glove in 2022. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting that season and made Baseball America’s All-Rookie team that season.

A partially torn ulnar collateral ligament ended his season prematurely in 2023, but Donovan rebounded with strong seasons in 2024 (14 homers, 34 doubles and 73 RBI) and 2025 (10 homers, 32 doubles and 50 RBI). He earned his first All-Star Game nod in 2025 and tied MLB history on Sept. 23 when he had four doubles in a game against the Giants.

Donovan played in pain much of the season half of the 2025 season and needed surgery to fix a sports hernia over the winter. While he hit .297 with a .797 OPS before the break for the MLB All-Star Game, he was limited to a .259 average and a .707 OPS in the 29 games he appeared in after the All-Star break.

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