By Paul Taylor Posted on

Mariners hopeful as Brendan Donovan steps up recovery workouts

Brendan Donovan is eager to return to action, but Seattle Mariners fans must remain patient as he waits to start a formal rehab assignment.

We’ve written ad nauseam about the barrage of injuries the Mariners have had to contend with this season. This has led to frustration and criticism by fans and sports talk radio hosts alike, which got to the point where general manager Justin Hollander felt compelled to passionately defend the training staff on Monday.

Certainly, it has been almost surreal just how many key players have dealt with injuries this season, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. This includes with Brendan Donovan, although caution remains the name of the game, with him currently enduring a longer than expected second stint on the Injured List, with a left groin muscle strain.

Donovan has been limited to 25 out of a possible 87 games so far in 2026, with the groin issue a fallout from the sports hernia surgery he underwent during the offseason. This has in turn led to a disappointing situation for the Mariners’ marque trade acquisition, especially considering what he’s achieved when he has played, batting .274 with a .839 OPS, 140 OPS+ and 145 wRC+.

Still, the question lingers, of when Donovan will actually be ready to return to the lineup, with the Mariners still struggling to play up to their collective offensive potential. Well, he ran sprints on the field on Monday and the following day was one of the most intense workouts yet on his road to recovery.

Brendan Donovan is ready to get back to action

This intense workout included taking hard-hit ground balls from Mariners legend and Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki. Donovan did just fine and overall, Tuesday’s workout proved to be an encouraging step forward, with Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reporting the 2025 All-Star said he’s “ready to get back”.

In this respect, the Mariners intend to wait until the end of the current six-game homestand to determine whether Donovan is ready to begin a formal rehab assignment. For his part, the 29-year-old expects to be ready to rehab in the minor leagues next week.

Pending this timeline of events becoming a reality, this would put Donovan on course to be back for the Mariners on July 17, following the All-Star break. This is of course assuming there are no more unexpected setbacks, hence why the Mariners continue to remain cautious.

As for where the 2018 seventh round draft pick will play when he returns, the expectation is he will take on more of the versatile role he was used to in St. Louis. The reality is that he has struggled at third base specifically for the Mariners, but should play somewhere most days when he’s back, with Major League experience at every infield position and both corner spots in the outfield.

Other Mariners injury updates

In other injury news, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley remained out of the lineup on Tuesday and are still officially listed as day-to-day. M’s manager Dan Wilson is optimistic both could return on Thursday following Wednesday’s off-day, but keep in mind Hollander did not completely rule out a stint on the Injured List for Raley specifically, when speaking to the media on Monday.

The Mariners brought in Cole Wilcox on Tuesday as a fresh arm for the short-handed bullpen, with Josh Simpson being optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma. The bullpen is still down some key relievers, with Carlos Vargas expected back at the trade deadline, while Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell won’t return until mid-to-late August.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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