St. Louis Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan is batting first and playing second base for the club on Opening Day versus the Toronto Blue Jays. The versatile Donovan impressed in his big-league debut last season, hitting .281 with five homers, two steals, and a .773 OPS across 126 games while seeing time at every position save for pitcher and catcher in 2022. While he hasn't displayed much in terms of power and speed throughout his minor-league career, Donovan boasts elite plate discipline and contact skills. His 12.8% BB% nearly matched his 15% K% from last season with St. Louis while he posted identical 12.3% marks in each department across 16 Triple-A games a season ago. Donovan's clearest path to playing time is at second base but he is fantasy eligible all over the field.

St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan played hero Thursday, hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning of a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres. Donovan also walked in five plate appearances. He now has five homers on the season. Donovan doesn't add much power or speed, as he's stolen just two bases on the year, but he is a solid all-around contributor who has been especially valuable to fantasy managers in deep leagues with daily roster changes. He has a .767 OPS with 56 runs scored and 44 RBI in 412 plate appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan (illness) is out of the lineup on Sunday as he continues to recover from an illness. Manager Oliver Marmol told reporters that Donovan's symptoms aren't necessarily "COVID symptoms" but did not disclose anything further to reporters. He's missed the last two contests as a result of the illness but Marmol expressed optimism that he could be back with the team on Monday. We should hear more about his status on Monday. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan (illness) is not in the lineup on Saturday due to being ill, according to manager Oliver Marmol. The Cards' manager told reporters that Donovan wasn't even at the ballpark on Saturday but it's still unclear what type of illness he's dealing with. He will be tested for COVID and we should hear more about his status later this weekend.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan continues to be one of the best surprises in baseball. The 25-year-old went 3-for-5 with four RBI and a stolen base during Saturday's win over the Chicago Cubs. This three-hit performance will move Donovan's batting average to .315 on the year. The Cardinals should continue to find places for Donovan to play as long as he continues to hit. Fantasy managers should continue to lean on Donovan until his bat cools down.

The St. Louis Cardinals recalled infielder Brendan Donovan from Triple-A Memphis on Monday and optioned outfielder Lars Nootbaar to Memphis in a corresponding move. Donovan, the team's No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was a seventh-round pick back in 2018. The 25-year-old has hit well in his minor league career, posting a .285/.386/.429 slash line with 21 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 242 minor league games. The left-handed hitter can play pretty much everywhere on the diamond and will serve as a super-utility player for the Cardinals in his first taste of big-league action. In 16 games at Memphis to begin the year, Donovan was hitting .298 (17-for-57) with a homer, six RBI and 12 runs scored.