Brendan Donovan Crisis (mostly) averted in St. Louis.
The red-hot second baseman powering the Cardinals’ 2025 campaign, Brendan Donovan, won’t be heading to the injured list after tweaking his left big toe during Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays. And while he’ll still miss a bit of time, it’s nowhere near the worst-case scenario that many feared.
According to Jeff Jones of BND.com, an MRI revealed a “sprained capsule in the joint” of Donovan’s left big toe—an injury that certainly doesn’t sound great on paper. But after an aggressive treatment plan that Donovan described as the Cardinals having “thrown the book at it,” he’s feeling confident about avoiding the IL altogether.
“Going on the injured list would be worst-case,” Donovan said. And fortunately for the Cardinals, it looks like that scenario is off the table.
A Key Piece of the Cardinals’ 2025 Puzzle
Even with a few games on the shelf, Donovan has already made a massive impact. Through just 64 games and 248 at-bats, he’s slashing an eye-popping .310/.379/.440 with an .819 OPS—the highest mark of his career.
To put that into perspective: Donovan has already posted 2.3 WAR, nearly matching the 2.6 WAR he totaled across all of 2024—and we’re not even at the All-Star break.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
- 77 hits
- 35 runs scored
- 20 doubles (Tied for 5th in MLB)
- 4 home runs
- 26 RBIs
- 22 walks
- 11th in batting average
- 10th in total hits
- 38th in OPS across all batters in 2025
He’s doing it all, and his consistency at the plate has been a cornerstone of the Cardinals’ early-season success.
What’s Next for Brendan Donovan?
While Donovan is expected to miss a handful of games, the current outlook suggests he’ll return well before the 10-day IL minimum. That’s a huge break for a team that’s locked in a race with the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central and battling for Wild Card positioning in the National League.
The Cardinals know how much Donovan means to this lineup—not just for his numbers, but for his versatility and leadership. He’s been one of the best second basemen in baseball, and the fact that he’ll avoid a long-term absence is a massive win for St. Louis.
So, yes—Donovan will be out. But not for long. And when he returns, it looks like he’ll be right back to anchoring the Cardinals’ push toward October.
