The season is only about two weeks old, but for some players, the first slew of games feels a little more meaningful.
Across the league, a number of players are making their return after missing most -- if not all -- of last season due to injury. So far, rust isn¡¯t playing much of a factor, with a handful of stars showing signs of recapturing their form.
Here are 10 players already looking like themselves after returning from injury.
All stats are updated through Wednesday¡¯s games
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins
2024: DNP
Alcantara went 18 months between regular-season appearances after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October ¡®23. One of baseball¡¯s top workhorses is still ramping back up -- pitching five innings or fewer in each of his first two starts -- but don¡¯t tell that to hitters. Alcantara¡¯s power sinker is averaging over 20 inches of arm-side run, tied for the most movement of any sinker in the Majors this season. That¡¯s led to quite a few swings like this one from Tommy Pham, and also a ground ball rate in the 97th percentile. Not to mention, in a small sample size, all three of his non-fastball offerings are running high whiff rates.
Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays
2024: 81 G, 336 PA
In a three-year span from 2021 to 2023, only Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner had more hits than Bichette, who led the AL in base knocks in back-to-back seasons. But 2024 was a lost cause: Bichette posted a career-worst .599 OPS, with three separate stints on the IL. This season, it hasn¡¯t taken a healthy Bichette much time to reassert himself atop the Blue Jays lineup. The two-time All-Star already has three games with at least three hits -- matching his total from all of last year -- and an xBA (.353) in the 97th percentile.
Jacob deGrom, RHP, Rangers
2024: 3 GS, 10.2 IP
With Tommy John surgery in the rearview mirror, deGrom begins his third year with the Rangers fully healthy -- and a healthy deGrom is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. The 36-year-old may look a little different, as he¡¯s throwing his four-seamer less often and with diminished velocity (though for deGrom, ¡°diminished¡± means 96.7 mph on average). But that¡¯s by design, in hopes of trading triple-digit heat for sustained health. Through two starts, deGrom has shown that he still has plenty of weapons to baffle hitters. There¡¯s the wipeout slider, which is moving like it used to. And he¡¯s expanded his mix, working his changeup and curveball back into his arsenal.
Jung Hoo Lee, OF, Giants
2024: 37 games, 158 PA
Lee tore his labrum last May in a collision with the center field wall, ending a once-promising rookie season. Early in 2025, he¡¯s showing everyone why the Giants signed him to a six-year, $113 million contract two offseasons ago. Lee slashed .353/.371/.529 during his recent eight-game hitting streak, and his seven doubles are the most in the Majors. His presence as the No. 3 hitter has lengthened San Francisco¡¯s lineup, keying an unlikely 9-3 start in a stacked NL West.
Jesús Luzardo, LHP, Phillies
2024: 12 GS, 66.2 IP
A stress reaction in Luzardo's lower back ended his 2024 season -- and his tenure with the Marlins -- last June. Through two starts following an offseason trade to Philly, the 27-year-old looks like the potential ace who racked up 208 strikeouts across 32 starts in 2023. He's throwing hard again, averaging 96.8 mph on his four-seamer; that's up nearly 2 mph from '24, and on par with the 96.7 mph he averaged in '23. Plus, Luzardo's new sweeper looks like a legit No. 2 offering, inducing nine whiffs on 17 swings while complementing his gyro slider. New weapons in tow, Luzardo made a statement last Friday with seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers.
Dustin May, RHP, Dodgers
2024: DNP
Elbow surgery and a life-threatening esophagus procedure kept May off a big league mound for more than 22 months. He wasted little time reminding us of his prospect pedigree, striking out the side in his season debut; through two starts, he¡¯s allowed just one earned run. May complements a hard sweeper (85.0 mph) with a sinker that breaks 19.3 inches in the opposite direction -- a combination that can keep hitters off balance, along with his three-fastball mix. With Blake Snell hitting the injured list and Shohei Ohtani still working his way back, May is primed for an outsized role in LA¡¯s rotation.
Drew Rasmussen, RHP, Rays
2024: 16 G (4 GS), 28.2 IP
Rasmussen returned to the Majors last August after elbow surgery sidelined him for nearly 13 months. And while he was dominant -- posting a 1.35 FIP with 11.0 K/9 in 28 ? innings -- he made just four starts, all as an opener. But his bullpen days are over. Even though the Rays entered 2025 with a crowded rotation, they made room for Rasmussen, who has returned to starting with a flourish: He¡¯s tossed 10 innings of one-run ball to begin the season, relying mostly on a sharp cutter. Rasmussen should be a fixture on one of the Majors¡¯ most underrated pitching staffs.
Kodai Senga, RHP, Mets
2024: 1 GS, 5.1 IP
For all the success that the Mets had last year, they sorely missed Senga, who made just one regular-season start amid shoulder and calf injuries. While Senga returned for the postseason, he didn¡¯t look like himself, allowing seven runs in five innings across three appearances. But after a normal offseason, Senga is showing flashes of his All-Star form. Through two games, his patented ghost fork is running a 43.5% whiff rate (10 whiffs on 23 swings), paired with a four-seamer that can still hit 97 mph -- two key components of the right-hander¡¯s versatile six-pitch mix.
Mike Trout, OF, Angels
2024: 29 G, 126 PA
A pair of knee surgeries sidelined Trout for the last five months of the 2024 season, prompting the Angels to make a change: Trout, 33, is a full-time right fielder now, switching positions in hopes of staying on the field. Entering Thursday, Trout¡¯s slash line -- .171/.311/.457 -- is a far cry from what we¡¯re used to from the three-time MVP. But he¡¯s still smashing the ball: He homered in three consecutive games last week, barreling up three of his seven hits. And after blasting another pair of home runs on Thursday, it sure looks like the future Hall of Famer has something left in the tank.