Brendan Donovan begins rehab stint with Tacoma, Refsnyder to follow on Saturday

After going 0-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in an Arizona Complex League game on Wednesday, infielder Brendan Donovan truly began his rehab assignment on Friday with the Tacoma Rainiers in a 5-4 win over the Oklahoma City Comets (AAA, Dodgers) by going 0-4 with two strikeouts.

This week marked Donovan's first competitive gameplay since landing on the IL way back on May 17th with a left groin muscle strain. Due to the nature of his injury, Mariners GM Justin Hollander has said the plan is for Donovan to play all over the field to prepare for a utility role when he rejoins the club and may include bouncing between the Rainiers and High-A Everett.

Hollander had the following comments on Donovan's rehab.

“Obviously, you don’t want to play 6 or 8 or 10 straight games on a rehab assignment depending on how it goes. Whether he stays with Tacoma as they go on the road or transfers to Everett is still (to be determined), We’ll work on that over the next few days mostly about what’s the most convenient thing for him to get him ready to go more than it is about like the level of play for that. So, possibility he goes with Tacoma (on road trips), possibility he stays here and goes with Everett at that point.”

Hollander also mentioned that the soonest reactivation would be considered is in about 10 days, around Monday, July 28th.

“It needs to be what it needs to be… he hasn’t played in two months and he needs to feel comfortable playing a bunch of different places and doing things with his body that in high-level competition he hasn’t done for two months,”

The plan when Donovan does return to the Mariners would be to ease him back to an everyday role by working in off days and primarily slotting in at DH, with the hope he can fulfill an everyday utility role similar to former Mariner Dylan Moore.

“We’re going to be responsible when he comes back. He’s probably not going to play six or eight games right out of the shoot all in a row, … We’ll find a way to move him around the field and also mix in DH days, team off days and just off days for him to make sure we’re not pushing him to the point of redlining him coming off of missing two straight months.”

Hollander also said that playing multiple positions coming off the injury is not a concern for Seattle.

“We’re not really worried about, at this point, how he’s gonna feel at third (base) one day versus second (base) or versus left (field),” he said. “I think it’s more about the day-to-day mileage he puts on his body and how he recovers from doing that a day and then (having) an off day and then (playing) two days and then a DH day and sort of building the volume. It’s just unique to baseball. Like, those baseball movements are very hard to recreate unless you're playing in games.”

Struggling Outfielder to also begin rehab stint.

As for struggling outfielder Rob Refsnyder, who landed on the IL with right knee inflammation on June 27th, his rehab will begin with Tacoma on Saturday, July 18th. The M's said he will need about 7 to 10 days for his rehab, aligning with Donovan's timeline, which could place both players back in a Mariners uniform between July 28th and August 1st. Hollander noted that Refsnyder has made some mechanical changes based on how his body is feeling, hopeful he can turn around his abysmal 2026 season.

If Donovan is not ready and able to return, coupled with the Mariners 48-50 record, could that force the club to be aggressive buyers leading up to the August 3rd trade deadline? The Mariners have also let teams know they'd be willing to part with a rotation piece for a right-handed bat or a leverage bullpen arm.

What are your thoughts? Is it too late for the Mariners to correct course and right the ship?

Quotes from GM Justin Hollander via Zac Hereth/Seattle Sports