Mariners Receive Brendan Donovan News After 44 Straight Missed Games
The Seattle Mariners have stumbled so far in the 2026 MLB season. Heading into play Wednesday they are 47-45, good enough for first place in a weak American League West.
The team made it all the way to the American League Championship Series last season before falling to the Toronto Blue Jays. With that kind of season for an often down Mariners squad, expectations were through the roof for this season.
Part of the reason for that was their acquisition of infielder Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals in February. The deal saw them part with some younger players/prospects, and was meant to give them some infield stability with the third base position up for grabs.
Unfortunately, Donovan has played just 25 games this season due to groin injuries. He is slashing .274/.386/.452 for an .838 OPS, as well as three home runs and eight RBIs.
Donovan's production was amazing when he was on the field, but he has only appeared in 27% of Seattle's games this year. The 29-year-old was last put on the injured list May 17 with a left groin strain.
The Mariners have been giving cryptic updates on Donovan's status for some time now, but Wednesday brought some encouraging news. Per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, the third baseman could be in rehab games later this week.
Brendan Donovan worked out yesterday in Arizona and will go through another workout today. The hope is he starts games in the ACL after that.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 8, 2026
Donovan's anticipated rehab assignment taking place in the ACL (Arizona Complex League) suggests that he may be in the minors for some time. It is likely that he will go from there to Double-A Arkansas and/or Triple-A Tacoma, then to MLB.
During Donovan's absence, third base has mainly been manned by top prospect Colt Emerson and longtime Mariner J.P. Crawford. Both of them are primarily shortstops, so it seems like once Donovan is back it will be Crawford as the odd man out.
Both players have around the same OPS, Emerson at .697 and Crawford at .685. However, Emerson is a top prospect and recently signed a long-term rookie extension so Seattle has clearly committed to him.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 6:29 PM.