St. Louis Cardinals utility player exited Tuesday night’s matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays due to discomfort in his left toe.
Donovan, who has primarily manned second base this season but started in left field Tuesday, left the game following a nine-pitch strikeout in the eighth inning of the Cardinals’ 10–9 loss.
“It’s an issue with the joint in his big toe,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. “You could tell in that last at-bat—he couldn’t push off properly. It was clearly bothering him, so we pulled him.”
Though Donovan received treatment after the game, he did not undergo X-rays and is listed as day-to-day.
“I felt it acting up while running in the outfield, and it gradually got worse,” Donovan said. “Eventually, it just got really irritated.”
Donovan explained that there wasn’t a specific moment of injury; rather, it seems to be the result of overuse.
During the first inning of Tuesday’s game in St. Louis, Donovan was seen in left field while teammate Masyn Winn made a catch on a fly ball from Toronto’s Addison Barger.
“It’s my left foot—the one I rotate off the most,” Donovan added. “That’s probably what contributed to me leaving. I’ll get some rest and reassess tomorrow.”
Losing Donovan, even temporarily, would be a setback for the Cardinals. A Gold Glove winner as a rookie in 2022, he is enjoying a strong season at the plate, hitting .310 with four home runs and 26 RBIs while batting third in the lineup.
“Donny’s a huge part of this team,” said Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas. “He’s so versatile defensively and has been a steady presence in the lineup. If we lose him, that’s a tough gap to fill.”