Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan’s MRI Results, Return Timeline Revealed

The Cardinals breakout star was forced to leave the action on Tuesday...
Patrick McAvoy|
May 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws out Baltimore Orioles left fielder Heston Kjerstad (13) (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
May 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws out Baltimore Orioles left fielder Heston Kjerstad (13) (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals had a slight scare but it sounds like everything is going to be okay.

Brendan Donovan was forced to leave the game on Tuesday due to what was then called after the game "left toe discomfort." MLB.com’s John Denton shared the news on Tuesday.

"Cardinals LF Brendan Donovan was removed from the game with left toe discomfort, per the club," Denton said. "Donovan, the team's most consistent hitter in '25, is 0 for 3 with a run scored after being hit by a pitch. Donovan was hit in the right leg by a Chris Bassitt 71 mph curve in the 4th."

He underwent an MRI and Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat shared that it revealed a "sprained capsule in the joint" of his left big toe and that he will likely need to miss a few days but could avoid an Injured List stint.

"Brendan Donovan said his MRI revealed a sprained capsule in the joint of his left big toe," Jones said. "They 'threw the book at it' today in terms of treatment and he’s not concerned it’s an IL; called that a 'worst case.' Might be a few days down."

That should be music to Cardinals fans' ears. Losing Donovan for any time is rough, but avoiding the Injured List should be considered a win. So far this season, he's been a game-changer for the Cardinals and is slashing .310/.379/.440 with four homers, 26 RBIs, and 20 doubles in 64 games played.

More MLB: Cardinals May Have Found Unexpected Breakout Star In 28-Year-Old

Published | Modified
Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News