Brendan Donovan is finally back on the field. Kind of.
The Seattle Mariners infielder, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals over the winter, began his rehab assignment Wednesday with the team’s Arizona Complex League affiliate. It’s the first real step toward a return after nearly two months on the shelf with a groin injury.
Donovan hit leadoff and served as the designated hitter for the ACL Mariners. The results weren’t pretty — 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk — but that’s not the point. He got through the game without any setbacks, which is the only stat that matters right now.
A Promising Start Derailed
Before the injury, Donovan was doing exactly what Seattle hoped he’d do. Through 25 big league games, he slashed .274/.386/.452. That kind of on-base ability and pop from a versatile defender is exactly what a team like the Mariners needs, especially one that’s struggled to score runs consistently.
But availability is its own skill, and Donovan hasn’t had enough of it. The 29-year-old has missed significant time, and the Mariners have felt that absence in a crowded AL West race.
Seattle’s Second-Half Math
Here’s where it gets interesting. The Mariners sit at 48-49, which is bad. But they’re also just 1.5 games back of the first-place Texas Rangers, which is weirdly good. That’s what happens when your whole division is hovering around .500.
Seattle has been banged up all year. Multiple injuries have piled up, and the offense has been inconsistent. But if Donovan can get back to major league form quickly, he adds a left-handed bat that works counts and finds barrels. That’s not nothing for a lineup that often looks punchless.
The Mariners open the second half Friday night against the San Francisco Giants. Donovan won’t be there yet, but his rehab assignment is the kind of quiet good news a team can build on.
He’ll need more reps. The rust was obvious in that first game back. But he’s moving again, and that’s more than Seattle could say a week ago.
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