All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan is back for the Mariners, and not a moment too soon for a squad still under .500 and one with a lagging offense that ranks 14th in the American League in batting average and 10th in runs scored.

Donovan, 29, endeared himself to Mariners fans early in the season by hitting three homers and smashing three doubles in his first 18 games before being knocked out of action by a left groin strain. Donovan, who was acquired from the Cardinals in a February trade involving three prospects and a draft pick, was out from April 20 to May 7 with the injury before being activated on Friday.

Mariners fans have to be hoping they get the caliber of player Donovan was before the injury -- minus the defensive struggles at third base -- and not one who is physically compromised. Donovan suffered a similar injury last season while playing for the Cardinals and he struggled to get back to the All-Star level that he played at early in the season. Ultimately, Donovan needed offseason surgery for a sports hernia that had been tabbed as a groin soreness and tightness most of the 2025 season in St. Louis.

In 2025 with the Cardinals, Donovan hit .297 with a .797 OPS with 22 doubles and eight homers before the break for the MLB All-Star Game. Playing injured much of the second half of the 2025 season, Donovan saw his batting average (.259) and OPS (.707) nosedive, and he had just 10 doubles and two homers over his final 29 games with the Cardinals.

So, which player will the Mariners get after yet another groin injury for Donovan? To get back above .500 and atop the NL West, Seattle will likely need the Donovan who can play two spots in the infield and two spots in the outfield while hitting to all fields and being a doubles machine in the heart of the lineup.