Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Cardinals' Oli Marmol Announces Brendan Donovan News After Removal From Lineup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 6:45 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have been fighting to stay in the wild card race, currently owning a 61–61 record and sitting 3.5 games back of the New York Mets.

St. Louis had picked up two crucial series wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs but failed to capitalize on the momentum, dropping two straight against the Colorado Rockies.

The team has experienced a plethora of injuries to key pieces during this stretch, with Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Brendan Donovan all missing time recently.

Notably, Donovan returned to the lineup regularly during the series against Colorado after experiencing groin soreness, which was later revealed to be caused by lingering foot pain.

His return was a good sign, as he’s been one of the team’s biggest contributors this season and was the Cardinals’ lone representative at the 2025 All-Star Game.

Cardinals Remove Brendan Donovan From Lineup

Ahead of Friday’s series opener with the New York Yankees, Donovan was slotted to play second base and bat leadoff for St. Louis.

However, moments later, manager Oli Marmol announced that the 28-year-old utility man had been scratched due to recurring foot pain. Marmol noted the injury will not require an injured list stint but could keep Donovan out for multiple days.

"Brendan Donovan has been scratched from tonight’s #STLCards lineup because of lingering foot pain — an injury that caused his recent groin soreness. Manager Oli Marmol thinks it could be a multi-day injury, but won’t require him to go on the 10-day IL."

Brendan Donovan has been scratched from tonight’s #STLCards lineup because of lingering foot pain — an injury that caused his recent groin soreness. Manager Oli Marmol thinks it could be a multi-day injury, but won’t require him to go on the 10-day IL.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 15, 2025

Cardinals Missing Donovan’s Presence During Wild Card Chase

This comes at a disappointing time for St. Louis, who could use their All-Star’s left-handed bat in the lineup. Donovan has hit .279 with a .750 OPS and nine home runs while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense all over the diamond.

He’s been one of the most reliable options for St. Louis since his big-league debut in 2022, and his production led to his name being mentioned in trade rumors before the deadline, though he ultimately remained with the Cardinals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: