St. Louis Cardinals Regular Takes Big Step in Injury Rehab

St. Louis Cardinals' regular Brendan Donovan has taken a big step in his effort to return from major August surgery.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal, via Derrick Goold (subscription required, link included):

Donovan (elbow) has begun a throwing program at the Cardinals' spring training complex in Florida, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

ANALYSIS
Donovan is coming along in his rehab after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in August. The expectation is that he will be ready to roll once spring training arrives. Donovan is expected to be a regular again for the Cardinals in 2024, although it might not necessarily be at a set position.

That's great news for a Cardinals team that is looking to bounce back from a last place finish in the NL Central in 2023. Donovan hit .284 with 11 homers and 34 RBI in 95 games this season. He also posted a strong .365 on-base percentage and is a big part of their lineup.

He burst onto the scene in his debut season (2022), when he hit .281 with a .394 on-base percentage. Defensively, in 2023, he appeared in left field, right field, second base, third base, first base, and shortstop.

The Cardinals are expected to be active this offseason, which may be why Donovan can't necessarily get a committed position heading into 2024. They have to see how the chips shake out.

Donovan won a Gold Glove award in 2022 and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.