Two established St. Louis Cardinals are spending a few days at Hammons Field, working their way back from injuries before rejoining the big-league club to hopefully provide jolts of offense in the season’s waning days.
Utilityman Brendan Donovan’s future seems cemented after he was the lone St. Louis representative on the National League All-Star team. For veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, a projection for 2026 seems murky.
Arenado went 0-for-3 as the Springfield Cardinals’ designated hitter on Sept. 10 in the first injury rehab game of his comeback from a shoulder injury. The eight-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glover and five-time Silver Slugger winner admits he’s unsure where he will play next season — but hopes it’s with St. Louis for a sixth season.
“I love it here. I’m not even thinking about where I’m going to be,” Nolan Arenado said of 2026. “I’m really just thinking about the drastic changes that I’ve got to make this offseason to get myself back on track, wherever I’m at. If it’s here, great; if not, it doesn’t matter. I’ve still got to get better, make some changes and get back to playing the baseball that I think I’m capable of playing.”
Nolan Arenado says he made a mistake in trying to play through pain
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado stands at the plate on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Springfield. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
This has been the roughest season of Nolan Arenado’s 13-year big-league career. He’s hitting just .235 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs in 96 big-league games. The numbers are far off his career average of .285, with 341 of his home runs coming into the season.
It was no secret that the Cardinals, with an eye on going with a younger roster, pursued a trade for Arenado last offseason. With two years remaining on a contract with St. Louis plus a no-trade clause, he turned down a possible deal with Houston.
While his defense has remained a gold standard, the offense has suffered. Some of it has to do with some nagging injuries that he tried to play through, including a shoulder issue that finally shut him down Aug. 1.
Arenado, 34, said that in retrospect, he should have shut himself down until he was totally healthy. His swing suffered as he adjusted for various pains and tried to play through them. The power numbers plummeted.
“Whenever you’re in pain in general, it’s never good,” Arenado said on Sept. 10 at Hammons Field. “You know, you try to play through things, but this year it wasn’t a very good idea for me to do that. I made a mistake there. You live and you learn. In baseball, you usually play through a bunch of things just because it’s such a long season, but it definitely affected me and I’m just trying to make my way back.
“I just want to finish the season healthy, finish strong with the guys, and go out, hit the ball hard and just play the baseball that I know I’m capable of.
“Getting healthy is the first step, and then I’ve got to make some good strides this offseason. This year has been a little different, for sure, from the start of spring until now, from injuries and getting a little banged up to obviously all that trade stuff. So definitely, a weird year. Obviously, I’m not proud of the year that I’ve had, but I can’t sulk in it.”
Donovan enjoying return to Hammons Field
Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan throws a ground ball to first base for the out on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Springfield. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
Things are more clear-cut for Donovan, 28, who excels at multiple positions but went on the IL with a groin strain on Aug. 18. The left-handed hitter played in 50 games at Springfield in 2021, when he spent time at three minor-league levels before joining the Cardinals as an extra for the wild-card playoff series.
Donovan made his big-league debut in 2022 and hasn’t looked back, winning the first Gold Glove for a utility player that season. He’s become a fan favorite for his scrappy, get-your-uniform-dirty style of play.
Returning to Hammons Field brought a smile to Donovan’s face. He went 0-for-1 with three walks on Sept. 9 and 0-for-3 while again playing second base on Sept. 10. He’s expected to play the series finale on Sept. 11 before likely rejoining St. Louis for a weekend series in Milwaukee.
“I remember the first time I walked into this ballpark, and so walking in (Tuesday), I kind of remember the same smells and the same things that I looked at then. It was pretty cool,” Donovan said. “Getting to Double-A, you’re, like, really close. I do remember it like it was yesterday. Being back here, being around the guys on this team, they were awesome and they were very welcoming, so it was pretty cool.”
Asked to elaborate on the specific Hammons Field smells, Donovan laughed.
“You know how sometimes scents bring back memories? I think every ballpark has a distinct smell, and this one does,” he said. “I walked into the indoor (facility) and I was like, ‘I remember that’ and (memories) hit me in the face. I was like, ‘That was four years ago, and I still remember.’ Pretty cool.”
Donovan said that, along with knocking off his physical rust while in Springfield, he will “get to know the guys as people. I think that’s the biggest thing, to kind of build an avenue of a relationship and trust and then when they ask me questions, just answer honestly.”
It’s also been a time to catch up with Missouri State baseball coach Joey Hawkins, who worked as hitting coach for a portion of the 2021 season while Donovan was at High-A Peoria. They’ve remained close since, with Donovan appearing at a Missouri State baseball fundraiser after his rookie big-league season.
“I saw him and he gave me a big hug,” Donovan said of Hawkins. “That’s my guy. He was in Peoria and then when I got promoted, he took the job here at Missouri State. So I said we should have just carpooled.”
Cardinals’ final regular-season homestand
Sept. 9 — Springfield 7, San Antonio 5
Sept. 10 — San Antonio 5, Springfield 3
Sept. 11 — San Antonio at Springfield, 6:35 p.m.
Sept. 12 — San Antonio at Springfield, 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 13 — San Antonio at Springfield, 6:35 p.m.
Sept. 14 — San Antonio at Springfield, 1:05 p.m.
For ticket info, call (417) 863-2143.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton