Aug 12, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) dives and catches a line drive hit by Colorado Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Lose Fan Favorite All-Star To Crushing Injury

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 4:52 PM ET

Brendan Donovan is the best player on the St. Louis Cardinals right now. He was their lone All-Star and after the team sold at the trade deadline, Donovan is one of the few bright spots left on the roster.

Last week, Donovan had an injury scare as he was dealing with a nagging foot injury. Our own Pat McAvoy of Cardinals on Si recently gave an update on Donovan's foot injury and echoed his importance to the team down the stretch.

"Donovan has been the engine that has made this offense move this season. There's a reason why he earned his first All-Star nod in 2025. The Cardinals entered the season with uncertainty, but Donovan is someone who from Opening Day has thrived offensively, been dependable defensively, and most importantly has been a leader in the clubhouse.

"You never want to lose any players to injuries, but Donovan is one of the last people you would want out of the lineup. This foot injury has been talked bout a few times already. Hopefully, this scratch is the beginning of the end of the overall absence and not the beginning of something long-term. Without Donovan, the Cardinals' lineup would take a significant hit down the stretch. The playoffs may not be likely this year, but competitive baseball and finishing above .500 are possibilities, especially with Donovan in the lineup."

But Donovan can't seem to catch a break with injuries right now. While the foot injury wasn't a huge problem, the Cardinals recently announced they were placing the All-Star on the injured list p with a groin injury. Infielder José Fermín was recalled in the corresponding move.

Cardinals place Brendan Donovan on injured list with groin injury

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Donovan is the heart of this season's Cardinals team. As a professional baseball team, you never want to give up on a season, even after selling at the trade deadline. There's always something to work toward, whether it's the World Series or the continued development of the young players on the roster. For the Cardinals, it's going to be harder to win games with Donovan missing from the lineup.

The 28-year-old utility man is slashing .279/.348/.402 with 25 doubles and nine home runs in his fourth full season in the big leagues. His defensive versatility has opened up a lot of lineups and defensive configurations for manager Oli Marmol this year.

Since Groin injuries can tend to nag and the season only has just over a month remaining, Donovan may only get a week or two of games left this year, assuming he returns from this injury this season.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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