Brendan Donovan’s Latest Scratch Against Padres Puts Mariners’ Load-Management Plan In Focus

Seattle’s lineup plan only works if Donovan is actually in it.

May 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a triple against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Brendan Donovan was scratched from the Mariners’ lineup before Saturday’s game against the Padres, and at some point, the conversation has to move past an usual shrug. Maybe this is minor. It’s probably precautionary. But it’s also fair to say Donovan’s availability is starting to matter as much as his usefulness.

Donovan can still be exactly what the Mariners hoped they were getting. He gives them contact. and defensive flexibility. He just needs to be available enough for the Mariners to feel it.

He was taken out of the lineup ahead of the Padres matchup, with Leo Rivas sliding in at third base and batting eighth. Mitch Garver was also scratched, which only added another layer to a Seattle lineup that already felt like it needed a normal night, not another round of pregame uncertainty.

And look, we all root for Rivas. He’s easy to like. He plays with energy and has had some fun moments. But let’s be honest. Nobody looked at this Mariners season and thought, “You know who we are probably going to see a whole lot of? Leo Rivas.”

Brendan Donovan’s Mariners Fit Only Matters If Seattle Can Actually Use Him

That was never supposed to be the plan. The Mariners have needed Rivas more than expected because the lineup has kept demanding patchwork. That’s not his fault. It’s not even necessarily a failure of the roster. Every team deals with injuries and late changes. But with Donovan, the issue is sharper because his whole value to Seattle is built around reliability.

The Mariners needed him to make the daily operation cleaner. That was the appeal. Plug him in at third. Move him around when needed. Let him lengthen the order.  Instead, the Mariners are already having to manage him carefully after his return from the injured list.

Caution might be the right approach. Donovan’s groin injury was real. Seattle should not jam him back into everyday action just because the lineup looks more complete when his name is in it. The season is too long, and the downside of turning a manageable issue into a bigger one is obvious. But that is exactly the point. Careful is not the same thing as settled.

Mariners have made some changes to the lineup. Brendan Donovan and Mitch Garver have been scratched.

New lineup:
Crawford SS
Rodriguez CF
Naylor 1B
Arozarena LF
Raley RF
Young 2B
Canzone DH
Pereda C
Rivas 3B

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) May 16, 2026

The Mariners have spent so much time looking for hitters who can make the lineup feel less brittle, and Donovan is exactly that kind of player when he is actually in there. Through 20 games with Seattle, he has hit .273 with a .385 on-base percentage, a .455 slugging percentage, three home runs, eight RBI and an .840 OPS. 

The problem is they have not had him enough to treat him like the stabilizer they want him to be. That’s why Saturday’s scratch lands differently than a random off day. It comes after the injured list stint. And it comes with Rivas again being asked to fill a role that probably says more about the state of the roster than anyone wants to admit.

Again, this is not anti-Rivas. But there is a difference between being a fun depth story and becoming the backup who keeps logging starter innings because the regulars are not available.

The Mariners don’t have to overreact to Donovan being scratched. They do, however, have to be honest about what the pattern is starting to suggest. If Donovan needs frequent management, that changes the way they can talk about him. 

He cannot be treated like the clean answer to lineup instability until his availability stops being part of the story.