Brendan Donovan returns to Mariners lineup vs Astros

After being held out of the starting lineup the past two day with an illness, third baseman Brendan Donovan is back in the lineup for the Seattle Mariners for the third game of their four-game series against the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Crawford ties Mariners record with walkoff hit vs Astros

Donovan, who walked in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning to help set up Seattle’s walkoff win Saturday night, is back in his usual spot at the top of the order against a right-handed starter.

The 29-year-old Donovan has been the Mariners’ best hitter early on this season. In 12 games, he leads the team with a .316 average, .435 on-base percentage, .605 slugging percentage and 1.040 OPS. He also shares the team lead with three homers and five extra-base hits.

With Donovan back in the lineup, shortstop J.P. Crawford, who provided the walkoff hit Saturday, slid back from the leadoff spot to seventh in the order.

Below is a look at the rest of the Mariners lineup as right-hander Logan Gilbert takes the mound against Astros right-hander and former Mariner Cody Bolton.

All set for Game 3️⃣! pic.twitter.com/36kfhu7hts

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 12, 2026

Gilbert is looking to pick up his first win this season. The right-hander has a 5.40 ERA with 10 runs allowed over 16 2/3 innings his first three starts.

Bolton, who had a 4.34 ERA over 18 2/3 innings in 17 relief appearances with Seattle in 2024, was named the starter for Houston following Saturday’s game. He made his first career start against Colorado on Monday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five over 4 1/3 innings. Bolton has allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings in two appearances this year.

The Mariners and Astros square off at 1:10 p.m. Sunday. Radio coverage begins on Seattle Sports 710 and the Seattle Sports app with the pregame show at noon. 

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