It’s not what you want to hear if you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan, especially in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
Infielder Brendan Donovan missed his third consecutive game on Friday as the team evaluates the severity of his sore left big toe injury. Per Derrick Goold of St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are willing to play this weekend against the Brewers shorthanded to allow Donovan time to recover, with a final decision of whether or not he hits the injured list to be made on Sunday.
Donovan had a carbon-fiber insert placed in his cleat in order prevent further injury as he went through a series of tests on Friday. He participated in all of Friday’s pre-game activities, and will go through a complete batting practice on Saturday which could determine his status for Sunday.
“I want to see how he responds to moving around,” Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said. “It will be telling.”
The 28-year-old infielder has been making a strong case to earn a trip to his first All-Star game this summer. Donovan is hitting .310 with a .819 OPS, and is tied for sixth in the National League in hits (77).
An IL stint for Donovan could spell major trouble for a stumbling Cardinals team that has been bitten by injuries. St. Louis has dropped six straight games, boasting a 36-34 record as they have now slipped to third-place in the NL Central, and six games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs. Also, the Cardinals sit three games back of the third Wild Card spot in the NL.
