The Seattle Mariners made plenty of moves this past offseason to rebolster the lineup after coming just one win short of reaching the franchise’s first-ever World Series title. Perhaps the most impactful was trading for Brendan Donovan in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 29-year-old utility man remains under team control through the 2027 season, and he is already providing elite value just 11 games into his tenure with Seattle. Donovan owns a .316 batting average, .422 on-base percentage, 1.027 OPS, three home runs and five RBIs.
Unfortunately, Seattle is off to a slow start entering Friday’s game against the Houston Astros, owning a 4-9 record and sitting in last place in the American League West.
© Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
To make matters worse, as the Mariners prepared for first pitch against Houston, one name was noticeably absent from the starting lineup: Donovan. He had missed a game earlier in April with a leg injury and returned after a one-game absence, so it was reasonable to wonder if that issue had resurfaced. However, it was not the cause.
An update was provided by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, who reported that Donovan’s absence is due to an illness. Donovan had been feeling the illness during Seattle’s last game on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers but still suited up.
He has not gotten better and is out of the lineup on Friday. Instead, Leo Rivas will get the start at third base, hitting ninth in the batting order.
Brendan Donovan has been fighting an illness. He was feeling it the last day in Texas and is out the lineup today.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) April 10, 2026
While Donovan has the ability to play all over the infield and outfield, he has primarily played third base for Seattle due to their need at the position and the loss of Eugenio Suarez in free agency this past offseason.
Donovan’s next chance to return will come Saturday in Game 2 of the three-game set against Houston if he progresses well enough. Donovan is now in his fifth MLB season and is coming off the best year of his career.
In 2025, he earned his first career All-Star selection. The Mariners are counting on Donovan to continue his hot surge once he returns and to help the club live up to its high expectations.
Related: Six-Year MLB Veteran Joins Mariners After Injury News
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
