The Seattle Mariners announced on May 17 that infielder Brendan Donovan has been placed back on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin muscle strain, just ten days after being activated. The move comes after imaging revealed the severity of the issue, which had sidelined Donovan earlier in the season.
Donovan’s return to the injured list is significant for the Mariners as he was considered a key addition to their roster this year. General manager Justin Hollander said, “He’s inflamed — it’s irritated and it’s back to where it was when he went on the IL the first time. So we need to get it right.” Donovan previously missed 17 games before returning from his initial injury on May 8.
During Sunday’s game, J.P. Crawford also suffered a right triceps contusion but manager Dan Wilson said Crawford should be fine in the short term. In positive news for Seattle, backup catcher Mitch Garver returned after missing time with back tightness and reliever Matt Brash made another rehab appearance at Triple-A Tacoma.
Donovan will receive platelet-rich plasma injections in both his groin and adductor areas as part of his treatment plan. Hollander said Donovan’s timeline for recovery depends on how he responds in coming days but expressed hope that baseball activities could resume within two or three weeks. The current injury is related to an offseason sports hernia surgery that Donovan underwent while still with St. Louis, and similar issues have persisted since then.
Hollander noted similarities between Donovan’s situation and former Mariner Dylan Moore’s recovery from core surgery: “We expected that there were going to be some hiccups as you go into the season… D-Mo didn’t feel like himself until July.” He added that load management strategies were planned for Donovan upon his return but unexpected circumstances required him to play more than intended.
Reflecting on his recovery process, Donovan said last weekend, “I’m still learning a lot about recovery and things I can do to keep my hips healthy after my surgery.” He emphasized managing workload and pelvic positioning during training sessions as ongoing priorities.
