Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan to undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The Cardinals announced Tuesday that Brendan Donovan will undergo season-ending surgery to address the persistent soreness in his throwing arm that has held the utility ace out of defensive duties in recent weeks.

Donovan had been contributing as a regular leadoff hitter and designated hitter, posting a .281/.362/.419 batting line on the year.

Brendan Donovan will have season-ending surgery to address his flexor strain in Dallas with Dr. Meister tomorrow.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) August 1, 2023

With the Cardinals out of the race, trading off pieces to build for the future ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Cardinals and Donovan elected to kick the can down the road no more.

Given that a significant portion of Donovan’s value to the Cardinals comes from his versatility in the field, it made sense for the team to expedite the process of addressing Donovan’s flexor tendon strain with an eye on his timeline for a return to the field as early as possible in 2024.

This story will be updated.