Brendan Donovan DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (rib) is back at second base and is hitting third for Friday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Chad Patrick. Donovan will return to the lineup after missing the last two games earlier this week after one of his ribs popped out of place. It sounds playful, but the 28-year-old utility man is ready to go for the weekend series against Milwaukee and should be returned to fantasy lineups. Although the German infielder/outfielder has never faced Patrick, he's been one of the most productive hitters through the first month of the 2025 season. Donovan enters Friday's game slashing .356/.392/.533 with a .925 OPS, three homers, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and three stolen bases. He's not going to give you much power, but fantasy managers need to ride his hot streak while it lasts.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports that infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan (rib) is expected to return to the team's starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. A displaced rib kept Donovan out of the starting lineup for the final two games of this week's series against the Atlanta Braves, but with a scheduled day off on Friday, the 28-year-old should be good to go to return on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to check to make sure Donovan is back in there, but if he is, he should be returned to your lineups after his strong start to the 2025 campaign. He's among the league leaders in batting average (.356) in the early going with 32 hits in 90 at-bats, three home runs, 13 RBI, three steals and 14 runs scored. The Cards are scheduled to face Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick in the series opener on Friday at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan (rib) is out of the lineup for a second straight day for Wednesday's series finale against the hosting Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Nolan Gorman is starting at second base again and is hitting third against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder. Donovan is dealing with a rib that popped out of place on Tuesday morning, but he's being considered day-to-day and isn't expected to need to be placed on the injured list. With a scheduled day off on Thursday, fantasy managers will be hoping that the hot-hitting 28-year-old will be ready for Friday's series opener at home against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. Donovan has been one of the best hitters in the early going in 2025, batting .356 (32-for-90) with three homers, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and three stolen bases in his first 23 games. Gorman has hit a pedestrian .250 with a homer and seven RBI in his 36 at-bats.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that infielder Brendan Donovan (rib) was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Atlanta Braves because one of his ribs popped out of place on Tuesday morning. He will be unavailable on Tuesday and his availability for Wednesday is also in question, but Marmol said it's unlikely that Donovan will need to go on the injured list. Nolan Gorman is starting at second base on Tuesday and is hitting in the three-hole against Braves right-handed opener Scott Blewett. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Wednesday to see if the 28-year-old Donovan is back in action. He's currently third in MLB with a .356 batting average (32-for-90) with three home runs, 13 RBI, three stolen bases and 14 runs scored, so hopefully his injury doesn't get him out of rhythm when he returns. Gorman has never faced Blewett in his career.

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.