The Seattle Mariners are set to welcome back a key piece of their infield, with third baseman Brendan Donovan scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Arkansas on Monday. General manager Justin Hollander confirmed the news Friday, signaling a positive step forward for the 2025 All-Star.
Donovan, 29, has been sidelined since April 17 when he left Seattle’s 5-0 loss to the Texas Rangers due to a left hip issue. Three days later, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin muscle strain—a setback that added to earlier concerns after he dealt with right groin discomfort in early April, which he suggested might be linked to an Oct. 7 sports hernia surgery.
Despite the injury woes, Donovan has been a bright spot for the Mariners this season. In 18 games, he’s batting .304 with three home runs, eight RBIs, and nine walks—a strong start for the player Seattle acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team trade involving the Tampa Bay Rays back in February.
“Really positive the way that Donnie has progressed through this,” Hollander said. “Probably not going to be activated for this home stand. The idea would be a couple rehab games in Arkansas then meet us in Chicago.”
The plan is for Donovan to rejoin the Mariners on May 8 during their road trip to Chicago. On Friday, he took another step forward by fielding grounders and taking batting practice before Seattle faced the Kansas City Royals—a promising sign for fans eager to see their star third baseman back in action.
In other roster moves, the Mariners recalled left-handed pitcher Josh Simpson from Triple-A Tacoma and placed right-hander Matt Brash (2-0, 0.00 ERA) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday. Brash was removed during his relief appearance against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Simpson, who made nine appearances in Tacoma and allowed just one run over 9 1/3 innings, will provide fresh arms out of the bullpen.
With Donovan’s return on the horizon, the Mariners are looking to bolster their lineup as they push through the early season grind. For now, all eyes are on Arkansas, where the rehab assignment will serve as the final test before he can don the Mariners jersey again.