ºüÀêÊÓƵ

“There’s not just one thing that is going to wow you,� Marmol said. “But the more you play him, you’ll fall in love with him and want to play him every day. That is exactly how this has played out. He’s been one of our most consistent guys, on and off.

“So well-deserved.�

A Gold Glove winner for his utility fielding, a starting left fielder, a defensive whiz at second, a No. 3 hitter to start the year and a leadoff hitter by midseason, Donovan may not “wow� at just one thing because the Cardinals have rarely ever asked him to only do one thing. He’s had roles all over.

Add All-Star to the list.

Donovan was elected by his peers to represent the Cardinals as the backup second baseman for the National League at the Midsummer Classic on July 15 in Atlanta.

It is his first All-Star invite.

He was the only Cardinal selected.

The rosters for the American League and National League All-Stars were revealed Sunday afternoon ahead of the Cardinals’ series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. As those rosters shift and replacements are named, there is still the possibility of starter Sonny Gray or reliever Phil Maton being added to the NL All-Stars. In a vote of players, Donovan finished second to Arizona’s Ketel Marte. Fans elected Marte to start for the NL, so Donovan got the nod as a reserve for the NL.

When the player ballots were circulating throughout the majors, Donovan led all second basemen in most offensive categories, and he had spent time leading the league doubles.

Going into his leadoff plate appearance Sunday night, Donovan brought a .296 average with a .367 on-base percentage and a .431 slugging percentage for a .798 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). He leads the Cardinals with 22 doubles, and he’s second on the team with 47 runs scored. Donovan also leads the Cardinals in an advanced metric that pools his contributions with a 2.4 WAR (wins above replacement).

The All-Star rosters were announced shortly before game time Sunday, and the Cardinals said Donovan would address the honor after the game.

“I love every second of it,� Marmol said shortly after telling the team and spurring an ovation from Donovan and congrats on social media from his teammates. “For that day to be possible, there’s a lot of work that’s gone into it for Donnie. You think about the style of player. He’s not the big-time prospect. He’s this guy who has just grinded his way to the big leagues.�

Donovan is only the second Cardinals second baseman chosen for the All-Star Game since 1985, when Tommy Herr represented ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Albert Pujols played second in an All-Star Game, but the most recent Cardinals second baseman invited to the All-Star Game was Matt Carpenter in 2013. Donovan is also the third All-Star who was born in Germany and the first since former Cardinals World Series champion pitcher Edwin Jackson, who went in 2009.

If Donovan goes to Atlanta’s Truist Park without a teammate, this will be the third consecutive All-Star Game where the Cardinals have had only one representative.

Nolan Arenado started the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle.

Last season, at the Classic in Texas, closer Ryan Helsley represented the Cardinals, but he did not appear in the game due to a sore hip that he chose to rest instead. 

Arenado tests shoulder

Describing himself as feeling “drastically better� than he did Saturday, Arenado intended to test out his sore right shoulder before Sunday’s game to determine his availability. He was not in the initial lineup for the game, and both he and Marmol suggested that they’d most likely use Monday’s day off to buy him additional rest.

“I’m going to try and force my way in there, (but) at the same time, we’ve got to be smart about it,� Arenado said.

The Cardinals third baseman felt a soreness near the top of his biceps, near where the arm connects to the shoulder, and he played through it Friday. He said he experienced it when batting not throwing, and that persisted Saturday when he was late scratch. The Cardinals confirmed a shoulder impingement through tests and without needing a scan, Arenado said. His recovery ahead of Sunday’s gave the Cardinals confidence he’ll avoid the injured list, Marmol said.

What about Pozo at catcher?

It did not take a three-run, pinch-hit homer that decided Saturday’s game to thrust Yohel Pozo into the starting lineup Sunday for the series finale. That was likely to happen.

But the homer didn’t hurt.

In the eighth inning Saturday, Pozo punctuated the Cardinals’ five-run comeback with a 419-foot homer that left the ballpark and landed somewhere on Waveland Avenue. Pozo’s third homer of the season was also his third game-winning hit of the year, and he’s 3 for 3 in his three appearances as a pinch hitter on this road trip. That is the role the backup catcher has carved out for himself: as often the top choice for late innings off the bench and into a pinch-hit spot.

“I like the style of at-bat he’s going to give you,� Marmol said. “It’s plays in a lot of different situations.�

That plays into why Pozo doesn’t appear more often at catcher, Marmol said.

The Cardinals remain committed to Pedro Pages as the regular starter at catcher because of his feel for the defensive side of the position and the pitching staff’s trust in him. Pozo has started, often with lefty Matthew Liberatore, but Marmol wants to keep him available to pinch-hit or DH as he did Sunday against a left-handed opponent. The pinch-hit appearances would be late in the game to avoid the complication of keeping two catchers in the lineup, and there are times when Marmol gears his lineup to set up a Pozo appearance in late innings.

“It’s a good bat, but you need a bullet to shoot,� Marmol said. “It’s hard. You can have him in the lineup then that takes away from the opportunities we’ve been giving (Nolan) Gorman to DH. So it’s going to come at somebody expense. I think we’ve navigated it well up to this point, and then pick his spots appropriately.�