MLB All-Injury Team: From Ronald Acuña Jr. to Mike Trout, 20 players whose return from injury could alter their team's season

After a winter of transactional activity, spring training will soon commence, with a bevy of high-profile players who changed threads this offseason reporting to their new clubs. As compelling as those arrivals are, sometimes the most exciting “additions” to a club are the players fans are already familiar with — the ones who were hurt but are now healthy.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 20 players who missed most or all of the 2024 season and the intrigue surrounding their returns to their respective teams. While this is hardly an exhaustive list of big leaguers slated to resume play in 2025, it’s a selection of those whose reintegration onto the roster could significantly alter the course of their team’s season.

Read more: Grading every team’s offseason, from an A+ for the Dodgers to Fs for the Padres and Mariners

There’s no shortage of injured Dodgers arms to keep track of. Tyler Glasnow finished the year on the injured list due to a sprained elbow but is expected to be a full-go in spring training. Dustin May (Tommy John surgery in July 2023) and Tony Gonsolin (Tommy John surgery in September 2023) will both be competing for rotation spots this spring after missing all of 2024. Several others could return from their respective surgeries at some point in 2025 (Emmet Sheehan, Brusdar Graterol) or 2026 (Gavin Stone, Kyle Hurt, River Ryan).

But while those pitchers could each eventually make important contributions as members of the Dodgers’ laughably loaded pitching staff, none of their returns comes remotely close to the magnitude of Ohtani’s pending resumption as a two-way sensation. For the first time in Dodger blue, Ohtani will remind us all of what makes him truly singular — and this after a season in which he rewrote the record books as a designated hitter while winning the World Series and his third unanimous MVP Award.

Adding to the intrigue surrounding Ohtani is that he’s technically coming back from two major surgeries following the shoulder injury he suffered while sliding into second base during last year’s Fall Classic. While that was on his non-throwing side, it represents another hurdle for him to clear en route to what could be yet another season of mind-blowing achievements. It sounds like May is the rough target for Ohtani’s return to the mound, and it promises to be quite the spectacle.

That Acuña has suffered ACL tears in both knees before turning 27 is an unquestionably brutal sequence for one of the most wildly gifted young hitters the game has ever seen. But his triumphant return from his first knee injury in 2021 — one that ultimately produced a historic MVP campaign in 2023 — is a reminder of how supremely talented this guy is and why we shouldn’t doubt his ability to regain his impact form sooner rather than later.

We might not see the speed element of his game return in the short term, but Acuña’s bat alone should dramatically alter the complexion of the Braves’ lineup for the better once he rejoins the team at some point in the first half of the season.

While Atlanta’s offense struggled mightily at times last year in Acuña absence, the rotation did remarkably well after Strider went down, thanks to the resurgence of Chris Sale and the breakouts of Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach. Strider is now preparing to rejoin something of new-look staff following the departures of mainstays Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency. The freshly minted NL Cy Young Sale is expected to co-headline the unit alongside Strider upon his return, though it’s worth noting that Sale too finished last season injured, and his workload might need to be monitored in his age-36 season.

Regardless of the exact pieces surrounding him, Strider was baseball’s premier strikeout artist before his injury, and his return to the mound is bad news for opposing hitters across the league.

Bieber looked spectacular in the early going last season before his elbow injury, and the timing of his surgery left his future in Cleveland in question, with free agency looming at the end of the season.

But Bieber reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to remain a Guardian for at least another season, setting up a highly anticipated return to the mound later this summer, which should fortify a rotation that has experienced a ton of turnover recently.

Cincinnati’s best player as a rookie in 2023, McLain’s sophomore year never got off the ground following labrum surgery in spring training that erased his entire regular season. He managed to return in time to play 13 games in the Arizona Fall League — including appearances at third base and center field — which means he should be good to go this spring.

The Reds were plenty busy this offseason, with the hiring of Terry Francona as manager and several intriguing additions on both sides of the ball, but McLain’s return could end up being far more impactful than any of the new faces in Cincinnati.

Remember him? The guy who has been one of the worst hitters in baseball over the past two years and is owed $73 million over the next three seasons? Unless Detroit has the appetite to eat the rest of Baez’s contract, it’ll be interesting to see how manager AJ Hinch incorporates him back into an infield mix that features a bevy of younger options who would seem to warrant more playing time.

It’d be great to see a bounce-back from Baez to any extent, but it’s difficult to envision him reclaiming his job as the every-day shortstop in Detroit anytime soon.

A year ago at this time, Carter was being widely celebrated as one of the top prospects in baseball. It made plenty of sense at the time, as the lanky outfielder had just starred as a key cog on a World Series winner at an extraordinarily young age and was still rookie-eligible entering 2024. But Carter was dreadful to open last season and eventually landed on the IL due to a back injury that ultimately derailed his year. Instead, it was Wyatt Langford who starred in Texas’ outfield as a rookie in 2024, with Carter fading into the background.

Now Carter rejoins Langford in a stacked Rangers lineup looking to recapture the hype he once (justifiably) garnered. We have a lot to learn about Carter’s true talent level, and a healthy 2025 from the still-just-22-year-old should help crystalize things.

Lee is one of the X-factors for the Giants if they are to have a realistic shot at competing in the daunting NL West. San Francisco made a massive commitment to the star outfielder from the KBO last offseason, and early returns were mixed before his injury; his elite contact ability seemed to be translating, and his defense looked quite good, but he wasn’t reaching base a ton or slugging much.

Now, with the pressure to compete ratcheted up further with franchise legend Buster Posey now at the helm of the Giants’ front office, Lee must deliver on his promise as an above-average every-day center fielder — all while coming back from major surgery. No pressure!

Before his elbow injury, McClanahan was rapidly developing into one of baseball’s top southpaws, having started the All-Star Game for the American League in 2022 and earned another invite to the 2023 Midsummer Classic.

He was nearing a return toward the end of last season but is now primed to enter spring training at 100 percent with no restrictions. He should get the ball for Tampa Bay on Opening Day and could play a huge part in getting the Rays back on track following an uncharacteristically poor campaign in 2024.

The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner got hurt right before Miami’s stunning playoff appearance in 2023, and the organization has dramatically shifted its trajectory during Alcantara’s rehab.

The right-hander is rejoining a team facing the ominous depths of its rebuild in 2025, meaning Alcantara appears far more likely to be involved in trade rumors than to be part of the next good Marlins team. Owed $34.6 million over the next two seasons with a $21M club option for 2027, Alcantara would be widely coveted in trade talks should he return to ace form.

While Alcantara likely won’t be around for the next competitive Marlins team, Miami boasts another ultra-talented, ultra-tall right-hander on its roster in Perez, who could more realistically be a long-term fixture for the Fish. He was simply brilliant in 2023, demonstrating uncommon poise and exquisite stuff as a 20-year-old rookie.

There’s absolutely no reason for Miami to rush Perez back after surgery last spring, and it’s difficult to imagine him throwing more than 40-50 innings this year, but this is the kind of arm that could anchor a rotation for years to come.

The humongous righty aptly nicknamed “The Mountain” was a force of nature for Baltimore after his debut in 2022, and he has been sorely missed late in games since he got injured. Baltimore is banking big on the return of Bautista’s overwhelming dominance to help compensate for a pitching staff that features some fairly glaring questions otherwise.

MLB All-Injury Team: From Ronald Acuña Jr. to Mike Trout, 20 players whose return from injury could alter their team's season

Sometimes the most exciting offseason additions for a team are the players, such as the Rays’ Shane McClanahan and the Orioles’ Felix Bautista, who were hurt but are now healthy. (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)

Seattle’s bullpen took a noticeable step back in 2024, and Brash’s absence was a huge part of that. The slender, slider-slinging Canadian led all pitchers in appearances in 2023 and ranked fourth in fWAR among all relievers. He might have ultimately paid the price for such a heavy workload, but relievers don’t usually need quite as much time as starters do coming back from elbow surgery.

The Mariners are hoping Brash can rejoin fellow fireballer Andres Muñoz in high leverage for the bulk of the 2025 season.

From 2019 to 2022, Hendriks was the best reliever in baseball by a considerable margin. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2023, Hendriks took several months to complete chemotherapy treatment and emerged cancer-free, but then he made only five appearances in the big leagues before hitting the IL due to an elbow injury that required surgery.

Now the well-liked Australian is 36 years old and tasked with anchoring the back of the Boston bullpen alongside Aroldis Chapman. It’d be awesome to see Hendriks recapture his elite form after all he has endured the past two years.

One of baseball’s best starting pitchers from 2019 to 2022, Woodruff agreed to stay with the Brewers on a two-year deal in the early stages of his rehab, with the goal of returning to the rotation in 2025.

That return now carries significant weight for the defending NL Central champions, as the starting staff was an obvious weak spot for the Brew Crew in 2024. A healthy Woodruff could help restore it to being a legitimate strength.

Before his season-ending back injury, Yelich looked as good as he had in years, which made his absence during the Brewers’ run to another NL Central crown all the more disappointing. Recall that Jackson Chourio didn’t really take off last season until after Yelich’s injury, so the possibility of Yelich returning in All-Star form alongside a leveled-up Chourio is all the more enticing for this Milwaukee offense.

After an offseason that featured the departures of shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and closer Devin Williams via trade — and minimal additions otherwise — getting some familiar faces in Yelich and Woodruff back in the mix should be a refreshing development for the Milwaukee fan base.

Mauricio showed flashes of his tremendous physical tools during his debut stint in 2023. His first career hit was a rocket double that came off the bat at an eye-popping 117.3 mph — an exit velocity only a handful of hitters have replicated recently. Then he tore his ACL while playing in the Dominican Winter League, sidelining him for all of 2024 and derailing his path to consistent playing time in Queens.

But Mauricio’s time might be coming. If Pete Alonso departs in free agency and Mark Vientos slides over to first base, the Mets would have a large hole at third that the switch-hitting Mauricio could fill, especially if he has a strong spring. Keep an eye on this guy.

The Astros have several key arms whose rehab timelines will be worth monitoring this year, including Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and J.P. France. But none has been off the radar longer than McCullers, whose last competitive pitch came in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series.

A whole lot has changed in Houston since the Astros lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy, but McCullers remains in tow as the longest-tenured player not named Jose Altuve. It’s still unclear when and in what role the right-hander could rejoin the Astros’ staff, but at this point, a return in any capacity will be a momentous occasion for a pitcher who has meant so much to the organization.

When Boston signed Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal a little over a year ago, he was projected to anchor the middle of a Red Sox rotation that featured ample uncertainty otherwise. Now Giolito enters his second Red Sox spring training in a markedly different situation: coming off major elbow surgery and competing for a spot on a suddenly crowded starting staff that features holdovers Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford, plus premier offseason acquisitions Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler.

Giolito has been adamant recently about being ready for Opening Day, which means we could be in store for a spicy battle for the final rotation spot if these six arms all make it through spring training healthy (which, if last year is any indication, isn’t the best bet).

Trout looked noticeably energized at the start of the 2024 season, stealing six bases over his first 29 games after collecting six steals in the previous four seasons combined. He was also tied for the league lead with 10 home runs at the end of April, prompting optimism among Angels fans and baseball at large that the three-time MVP was on track for another outstanding season commensurate with his Cooperstown-caliber talent.

Yet once again, such optimism was quickly quashed when Trout suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, shelving him for an extended period for the third time in four years. After undergoing surgery in May, Trout attempted to come back later in the summer, only to suffer the same injury all over again, leading to another surgery in August that wiped out the remainder of his season.

Now Trout is 33 years old and rejoining an Angels team coming off its worst finish in franchise history. The team hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2014 — the longest active playoff drought in MLB. At this point, the collective hope is less about Trout finding his way back to October and more about seeing him on the field for a prolonged period of time. Fingers crossed.

Fuente

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR