When Brendan Donovan takes the field in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night – at whatever position that may be for the National League – he’ll do so in the home uniform of the St. Louis Cardinals.

For the past five years, the players have worn special uniforms for the game. But this season, the tradition of players clad in the uniforms that they wore in becoming all-stars returns in time for Donovan’s first appearance in the contest.

“The birds on the bat is kind of one of those jerseys that’s traditional, it’s iconic,” Donovan said, “so just representing the city and this organization wearing this jersey is something that I’m extremely excited to do.”

Donovan didn’t arrive at South Alabama from Enterprise High School as a highly regarded recruit, and he joined the Cardinals from the Jaguars as the 213th selection in the 2018 draft.

“The dude didn’t start on third base, man,” South Alabama coach Mark Calvi told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “He’s a self-made player. That’s what he is. He’s a self-made player. No one grabbed him and yanked him up to the big leagues. He has earned everything. He’s a self-made college player. He’s a self-made big-leaguer.”

When Donovan became a big-leaguer in 2022, his first four MLB starts had him at a different infield position for each, which had never happened before, and he went on to win the first Gold Glove for fielding excellence by a utility player as a rookie.

“I love every second of him,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Donovan and his all-star selection. “Just being able for that day to be possible, there’s a lot of work that has gone into it for Donnie. When you think about that style of player, it’s not this big-time prospect. It’s this guy who’s just grinding his way to the big leagues.”

Donovan arrived at the all-star break with the National League’s third-highest batting average at .297 (.0001 behind second-place Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers) and tied for sixth in hits and doubles with 102 and 22, respectively.

Donovan has served primarily as St. Louis’ second baseman this season with 63 starts there. But he’s also started 18 games in left field and five games at shortstop, and in 14 games, he’ has played more than one position.

“There’s a couple of points in your career – hopefully, I can play a long time — that I can look back on and enjoy once I am done playing,” Donovan said on Monday in Atlanta. “But I wouldn’t want to do this any other way. I think it makes it sweeter. This doesn’t change anything, and I’m going to continue to be the person I am every day.”

The MLB All-Star Game is set for 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta. FOX will televise the game.

Donovan is among the National League reserves. He’s the fifth South Alabama alumnus chosen for the MLB All-Star Game.

Outfielder Luis Gonzalez represented the Arizona Diamondbacks at five MLB All-Star games – 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. One-time all-stars from USA include Cardinals third baseman David Freese in 2012, New York Mets outfielder Lance Johnson in 1996 and Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber in 2001.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.