St. Louis Cardinals' Stud Issues Correction on Offseason Surgery
Speaking this week at spring training, St. Louis Cardinals' utility standout Brendan Donovan issued a correction about the procedure he had done on his elbow at the end of 2023.
Per John Denton on social media:
#STLCards utility ace Brendan Donovan sought to clear something up this morning: His 2023 season-ending surgery was to repair a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and not the forearm flexor pronator he strained, he told MLB .com.
Unlike "Tommy John" surgery where the elbow ligament is replaced with one from the forearm or hamstring, Donovan had "brace" surgery. He said doctors used "a shoelace" like material for the UCL repair.
BD: "This is the first time I've kind of gotten the facts out there."
Brace surgery is the same thing that Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story had prior to the start of the 2023 season.
The newfound arm health for Donovan is a big luxury for the Cardinals, who will again utilize him in a big way.
Donovan hit .284 with 11 homers and 34 RBI in 95 games this season. He also posted a strong .365 on-base percentage and is a big part of their lineup.
He burst onto the scene in his debut season (2022), when he hit .281 with a .394 on-base percentage. Defensively, in 2023, he appeared in left field, right field, second base, third base, first base, and shortstop.
Donovan won a Gold Glove award in 2022 and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
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