Cardinals Make Brendan Donovan Decision After Rockies Game

Cardinals Make Brendan Donovan Decision After Rockies Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The St. Louis Cardinals have unexpectedly surged recently by taking crucial series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, two of the National League’s top teams.

St. Louis inserted itself back into the NL wild-card race. It is three games out of a playoff spot despite playing without veteran team leaders Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan.

Notably, Donovan played during both series but not every day. He has been held out of the starting lineup for the last three games while dealing with a left groin issue.

The 28-year-old utility man has been a bright spot this year due to his offensive production at the top of the Cardinals’ lineup. Over 108 games, Donovan is batting .280 with a .756 OPS, nine home runs, and 45 RBIs.

Brendan Donovan Returns to Cardinals Lineup

Despite not starting Monday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies, Donovan came off the bench in the bottom of the eighth inning and delivered a clutch two-run double that gave St. Louis the lead and, ultimately, a 3–2 win.

Manager Oli Marmol decided to put Donovan back into the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies. He was batting leadoff and playing second base.

Are you ready for it? pic.twitter.com/txPsbRwmes

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 12, 2025

Brendan Donovan’s All-Star Season Anchoring Cardinals’ Wild Card Push

This comes as timely news for St. Louis, who would capture their third straight series win and third straight win overall if they can take down Colorado again on Tuesday.

Donovan earned his first All-Star selection this year after an excellent first half and was the Cardinals’ lone representative. With St. Louis committing to a youth movement, Donovan’s name appeared in trade rumors, but the organization chose to hold on to him for at least the remainder of the season. He remains under team control for two more seasons and is not eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2028.

Donovan made his MLB debut for St. Louis in 2022. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting and earned his first Gold Glove award that season.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.