The old saying goes, “When it rains, it pours”—and the St. Louis Cardinals certainly felt that in their 10–9 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did they come up short in a high-scoring battle, but they also saw one of their most reliable contributors, Brendan Donovan, exit with an injury.
Donovan left in the ninth inning due to discomfort in his left toe, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold. The full extent of the injury isn’t yet known, but given Donovan’s importance to the lineup this season, his condition is a significant concern. Ryan Vilade stepped in to cover left field, and Yohel Pozo took Donovan’s place at the plate shortly after.
Though it’s unclear exactly when the injury occurred, Donovan did take a 71 mph curveball from Chris Bassitt earlier in the game. However, the pitch didn’t appear to strike his foot. His only time on base came when he rounded third following Alec Burleson’s single—possibly aggravating an already nagging issue. If it didn’t happen during that baserunning sequence or while patrolling left field, the injury might simply be a fluke.
After the game, manager Oli Marmol revealed Donovan has been dealing with ongoing irritation in the joint of his left big toe. The team expects more clarity on the situation by Wednesday, per MLB.com‘s John Denton.
Regardless of how it happened, losing Donovan—who leads the team in WAR—is a serious blow for a Cardinals squad that’s outperformed expectations so far in 2025. His defensive flexibility and offensive steadiness have been vital to their success.
The timing couldn’t be worse, as St. Louis battles to keep pace with the division-leading Chicago Cubs and remain in the thick of the Wild Card race. Missing Donovan for any stretch would make that challenge even tougher.
Through 248 at-bats this season, Donovan is hitting .310 with a .379 OBP and .440 slugging percentage, including 4 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 20 doubles—tied for second in the National League with Pete Alonso.
Leave a Reply