Brendan Donovan DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI in the Cardinals' 8-3 win on Monday night at Busch Stadium. Donovan has moved all over the field this season and started Monday at shortstop before moving to second base later in the game. Wherever he has played defensively, the 28-year-old has brought good offensive production this season, hitting .391 over his first 16 games of the year with five doubles, two home runs, four walks, a stolen base, and a .427 wOBA. His increased production is backed up by a 50.9% hard-hit rate, according to Statcast. The versatile utilityman should continue to get plenty of work for the Cardinals and is a good fantasy option in all formats while he's so locked in at the plate.

According to John Denton of MLB.com, the St. Louis Cardinals and infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan could not come to a long-term agreement before Thursday's arbitration deadline. Earlier this week, it was reported that both sides were inching towards a long-term deal but were unable to finalize it. The 27-year-old has spent his entire three-year major league career in St. Louis. Last season, he held a .278/.342/.417 line with 14 home runs and five stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate with a stellar 12.4% K rate and a 15.1% whiff rate. Fantasy managers should expect Donovan to operate as the team's starting second baseman in 2025 but could also see time in the outfield. In addition, he may eventually be shifted to the hot corner with Nolan Arenado's name on the trade block.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan (foot) is starting at second base and is batting leadoff on Tuesday at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder. Donovan will return to the top of the Red Birds' batting order against the Reds after missing the previous two games due to a foot infection. There was some worry that the 27-year-old utility man might need a stint on the injured list, but he appears fine for now and will have some DFS appeal as a low-cost sleeper on Tuesday at the top of the lineup. Shortstop Masyn Winn is getting a day off, which has allowed Donovan to hit leadoff for the first time in a month. The left-handed-hitting German lacks notable speed or pop, but he's gone 7-for-20 (.350) with two doubles in five games so far in the month of September.