BRENDAN DONOVAN NEWS

Remains sidelined Wednedsay Donovan (lower leg) is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Impact Donovan will miss a second game in a row Wednesday as he nurses a shin abrasion. Taylor Motter will draw another start, taking over at second base and batting eighth in the series finale with Arizona.

APRIL 19, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Scratched with shin abrasion Donovan is considered day-to-day with a left shin abrasion, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Impact This minor issue is what prompted the Cardinals to scratch Donovan from their starting lineup Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks. Nolan Gorman will cover second base and Taylor Motter is in at third.

APRIL 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Scratched from lineup Tuesday Donovan was scratched from the Cardinals' lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Impact There's no reason yet for the sudden change. Nolan Gorman is now starting at second base and batting fifth, with Taylor Motter entering the lineup at third base and hitting eighth.

APRIL 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Reaches four times, steals two bags Donovan went 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and two steals in Saturday's 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh. He also walked.

Impact Donovan was effective at the top of the lineup for St. Louis in the four-reach game. The steals were the first of the season in a game where the Cardinals swiped four bags against Jason Delay and the Pittsburgh pitching staff. Donovan now owns a four-game hitting streak while picking up knocks in five of his last six contests, and he also didn't strike out for the first time since April 10.

APRIL 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

'He ran a long way': Brendan Donovan makes spectacular catch in Cardinals win "I kept running and running and running," Donovan said of his catch at Coors Field on Tuesday.

APRIL 12, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Takes seat against lefty Donovan is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Brewers.

Impact The Cardinals are going righty-heavy against southpaw Eric Lauer, so Donovan will begin this one on the bench. Taylor Motter gets the start at second base and will hit sixth.

APRIL 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out of starting lineup Tuesday Donovan is not in the Cardinals' starting lineup Tuesday against Atlanta.

Impact St. Louis will go righty-heavy in this one with Atlanta throwing left-hander Dylan Dodd. Taylor Motter is playing second base and hitting ninth.

APRIL 4, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Smacks leadoff homer Donovan went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Sunday's 9-4 win over the Blue Jays.

Impact Donovan started the game with a bang, depositing Chris Bassitt's first pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field. In the fourth inning, Donovan added a second RBI on a sacrifice fly. He's gone 5-for-14 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored through three games so far. It appears the versatile 26-year-old will get a chance to be the primary second baseman to begin the year, and he's also hitting leadoff against right-handed pitchers.

APRIL 3, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Collects three hits, homer in loss Donovan went 3-for-6 with a two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Thursday's 10-9 loss to Toronto.

Impact Donovan served as the Cardinals' Opening Day leadoff hitter and did his job setting the table against Alek Manoah and company. He even carried over the newfound pop he showed in spring training -- Donovan smacked four homers in Grapefruit League play, just one fewer than he had in 468 plate appearances in the majors last season. Donovan has a good eye at the plate, and if the power is here to stay, he could end up being a fantasy gem.

MARCH 31, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Hitting leadoff Opening Day Donovan is starting at second base and batting leadoff for Thursday's opener versus the Blue Jays.

Impact Donovan could move to the bottom of the order against lefties, but he looks to be the preferred choice at leadoff versus right-handers. Lars Nootbaar will bat behind Donovan in the two-hole.

MARCH 30, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Will see time in leadoff spot Donovan will spent time in the leadoff spot for the Cardinals this season, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Impact Manager Oliver Marmol on Wednesday wouldn't commit to any lineup spots beyond Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras as his 3-4-5 hitters, but it's expected that Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman will get looks at the top of the order. It could be Donovan and Nootbaar in the top two spots against right-handers, although Tyler O'Neill also seems to be in the mix for the No. 2 spot. Donovan's on-base skills make him a natural fit at leadoff, and he's shown more pop this spring after re-tooling his stance.

MARCH 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Spring fantasy notes: The shift hurting Sandy Alcántara, considering Brendan Donovan and more Wise guy Gene McCaffrey muses on the Dodgers outfield, how the shift might impact Sandy Alcantara, the Reds' win total in 2023 and more.

MARCH 21, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Excellent in spring Donovan is hitting .325 (13-for-40) with a team-leading four home runs over 14 Grapefruit League games.

Impact Donovan's value to the Cardinals comes as a utility man, but his spring play should serve to get him an everyday role in the lineup to begin the season. He's the projected starter at second base, especially with Tommy Edman needed at shortstop to cover for the injured Paul DeJong (back). Donovan hit well as a rookie last year, slashing .281/.394/.379 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 64 runs scored and two stolen bases over 126 contests. With his versatility, he should remain in the mix for a starting role even if his hitting drops a bit.

MARCH 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

MLB 26-and-under power rankings: No. 10 St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals check in at No. 10 in our comprehensive ranking of each MLB franchise's 26-and-under talent. Here's why.

MARCH 14, 2023

Homers again Monday Donovan clubbed a two-run homer and added an RBI single Monday versus the Mets in Grapefruit League action.

Impact It's the second home run in three spring training games for Donovan, who hit just five long balls in 126 contests for the Cardinals in his rookie season. Donovan is standing more upright at the plate this spring and, as manager Oli Marmol noted on Monday's ESPN broadcast, is making more of an effort to pull the ball in the air. He's also switched to a puck-style bat knob. It's worth tracking to see whether Donovan's newfound pop can be sustained while not taking away from his excellent plate skills.

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ranking the best 24 second basemen of 2023 in the MLB

Ben Verlander continues his offseason positional tiers by ranking the best second basemen in baseball.

JANUARY 25, 2023

Donovan finishes 3rd in NL ROY vote Cardinals Gold Glove utility player Brendan Donovan finished third in the 2022 Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year balloting,...

NOVEMBER 15, 2022 • MLB.COM

Cardinals rookie Brendan Donovan displayed different gloves in 2022. His next one will be Gold Donovan became the first Cardinal to win a Gold Glove in their rookie season.

NOVEMBER 2, 2022 • STLTODAY.COM

Former South Alabama standout wins Gold Glove Enterprise’s Brendan Donovan earned a National League award for fielding excellence as a utility player.

NOVEMBER 2, 2022 • AL.COM

Cardinals' Nolan Arenado, rookie Brendan Donovan win Gold Gloves ST. LOUIS — In his first year as a big-leaguer, rookie Brendan Donovan on Tuesday was awarded the utility Gold Glove in the first year that...

NOVEMBER 2, 2022 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Sitting for regular-season finale Donovan isn't starting Wednesday against Pittsburgh, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Impact Donovan has recorded hits in each of the last eight games, hitting .310 with two doubles, seven runs, an RBI, five walks and three strikeouts over that stretch. However, Paul DeJong will take over at the keystone and bat ninth during Wednesday's regular-season finale.

OCTOBER 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Out of lineup Donovan will hit the bench Saturday against the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Impact Donovan started against the left-handed Andrew Heaney on Friday but will sit against a different caliber of southpaw in Clayton Kershaw on Saturday. Tommy Edman will slide to second base in his absence, while Paul DeJong starts at shortstop.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Clubs first career grand slam Donovan went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Padres.

Impact Donovan went 0-for-9 over his previous three games before lifting a seventh-inning grand slam that gave the Cardinals their margin of victory. He's hit just five home runs this year, but three of them have come in his last 15 contests, a span in which he's added seven RBI and 12 runs scored. The rookie utility man is slashing .279/.390/.377 with 44 RBI, 56 runs scored and two stolen bases through 115 games overall.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Donovan's grand slam carries Cardinals over Padres 5-4 Brendan Donovan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to lead Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory against the San Di...

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 • SACBEE.COM

Donovan's grand slam carries Cardinals over Padres 5-4

Brendan Donovan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to lead Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory against the San Diego Padres, snapping a three-game losing...

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS