After 'grinding his way' to Majors, Donovan earns 1st ASG selection

CHICAGO -- For anyone who has spent any time at all around Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan, it will come as no surprise that he was out on the field under gray skies on Sunday afternoon, fielding a battery of ground balls fed through a machine by first base coach Stubby Clapp.

If the journey to his first All-Star Game had gone any differently than that -- than the countless reps and the exhausting work -- then it almost certainly would’ve involved missteps and pitfalls. Instead, with Sunday’s announcement, Donovan was feted with an eruption of cheers and plaudits from his clubhouse, and he’ll be able to enjoy a short trip from his Alabama home to a full celebration at Atlanta’s Truist Park for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on July 15.

“I wasn’t sure,” Donovan said of the team’s All-Star announcement, which was conducted by manager Oli Marmol in the visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley. “And then Oli started speaking. I was like, ‘I think he’s talking about me,’ and I think it’s really cool.

“I love all the guys in here, and to find out in here with all them, I think it’s pretty special. Got a hug from [Marmol], got a cool invitation. I’m a religious person, so I just believe that’s a true blessing from God, and I’m just very excited to represent this organization.”

It perhaps would have come as some surprise to the Cardinals that Donovan’s defensive drills – and the team’s subsequent celebration of his selection – would be far and away the high point of the day, as they were thumped 11-0 to drop a series to the rival Cubs.

“I love every second of him,” Marmol said of his team’s lone All-Star before first pitch. “Just being able for that day to be possible, there’s a lot of work that has gone into it for Donnie. When you think about that style of player, it’s not this big-time prospect. It’s this guy who’s just grinding his way to the big leagues.”

That grind is what allowed Donovan to reach the big leagues in 2022 and become the first player in Major League history to start at each of the four infield positions within his first four career starts. That grind is what has made Donovan an irreplaceable cog at the top of the Cardinals lineup, primarily starting at second base this season while making cameo appearances at shortstop and in left field, as well.

The lion’s share of his playing time has come from the third spot in the lineup, but in recent weeks, the Cardinals have slotted him at leadoff as they search for answers for an offense that has not always turned in reliable production. It’s Donovan who has been most commonly trusted as the spark for that fire, and his production has mirrored his placement.

Among qualified National League hitters, Donovan entered play Sunday fifth in the batting title race with a .296 average. His seven home runs put him on pace to challenge last season’s career-high 14 blasts, and his .798 OPS is the best mark among his four seasons. He has been the team’s most valuable player by far, racking up 2.4 wins above replacement -- 0.7 more than second place Victor Scott II.

It is perhaps the rare case where the numbers might accurately describe a player’s value, but they still don’t entirely capture it. Donovan, a leader in the clubhouse who has worked tirelessly to lead by example both on and off the field, is perhaps first among the class of ballplayers who are hesitant to discuss their own accomplishments. That, maybe more than anything else, will make his day in the Atlanta sun all the more special for both him and his team.

Erick Fedde recorded just four outs in Sunday’s finale, walking four and allowing three earned runs. That performance followed allowing seven earned runs in each of his two previous starts.

“I think we have to use tomorrow’s off-day and figure out what that looks like,” Marmol said when asked about a path forward for Fedde.

“Had a lot of time after the game already to look at a lot of film and just try to work on give myself some ideas to go moving forward,” Fedde said. “Obviously it’s pretty ugly, so [I’ve] gotta do something.”

For Donovan, the path remains the same, and it reflects the constant grind.

“You can’t dwell too much on it,” he said. “You can’t let something like this snowball. You just have to evaluate it, not harp on it, flush it, and just get right back to work.”