Brendan Donovan Late Scratch From Mariners Lineup Ahead of Game Two Against Cubs
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Just minutes before Kade Anderson threw the first pitch of his MLB debut, an announcement was made in the press box at T-Mobile Park, stating that Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan was a late scratch from the lineup. Weston Wilson had slotted into his place in the infield, and the order of the starting lineup had to be rearranged.
It was odd to hear the news that close to first pitch, since announcements like this are typically made an hour before the game, not minutes before. Brendan could be seen warming up on the field with the rest of his teammates following the playing of the national anthem, by a Cellist named Alex Chen.
It’s another odd and frustrating turn in the 2026 season for Donovan, his first with the Mariners after being acquired via trade last offseason, as he was hit in the head by a baseball in the indoor batting cages. The announcement also stated that he was being evaluated by doctors for a potential concussion.
This odd situation adds another layer to a tough run of injury news for Donovan, who has missed most of the season with a groin issue stemming from sports hernia surgery this past offseason.
Seattle general manager Justin Hollander has said on a few occasions during his first game of the homestand injury updates that the Mariners will do their best to be cautious with Donovan so he can get through the rest of the year without reaggravating the groin issue. That means giving Donovan regular days off and asking him to do less pregame work than he typically does.
It’s good news that the reason for the late scratch isn’t related to the groin issue, but it’s also concerning to hear what happened to him. The hope is that manager Dan Wilson will be able to provide an update during his postgame press conference, but that hasn’t typically been the case this season.
Usually, Wilson can provide more context before saying the team will know more tomorrow. So, the most likely scenario is that we will hear more about Donovan’s status tomorrow morning, before the series finale against the Cubs.
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