Bard not the only 2020 comeback story

This young season has already given us some comeback stories for the ages. Daniel Bard’s return is screenplay worthy. So is Carlos Carrasco’s. But we have lots of other notable returns from players who are changing their career arcs and reminding us we should not underestimate the power of people who are determined to pay any price in terms of work and commitment.

Here are seven of the coolest 2020 comeback stories:

1) Daniel Bard, RHP, Rockies
His being back on a Major League mound is one of the most heartwarming stories of this or any other season. Forced from the game at 28 because he lost the ability to throw the baseball in the strike zone and then to make it all the way back seven years later at 35 is a triumph on so many levels.

2) Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Indians
His is the ultimate kind of comeback. He returned to make 11 relief appearances last September after undergoing treatment for leukemia in June. That in itself was a remarkable accomplishment. This season, he’s right back to being the guy who averaged 29 starts a season between 2015-18, going six innings in all three starts and allowing a total of five runs with six walks and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings.

3) Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, Padres
Can a 21-year-old qualify as a comeback story? Let’s just go with it.

He was one of baseball’s most entertaining and productive players last season and is right back to that place in 2020. He missed 78 games in 2019 during two stints on the injured list, including a stress reaction in his back that ended his season on Aug. 13. He’s a huge reason the Padres are so optimistic about what they have going.

4) Salvador Perez, C, Royals
The six-time All-Star might be every player’s favorite opposing player. Umpires, coaches and managers feel the same way, and Perez’s role in helping the Royals play in back-to-back World Series (2014-15) has earned him a special place in the hearts and minds of Royals fans. He’s fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him in '19 and doing his part to lead the next reconstruction of the Royals, hitting .313 with three homers thus far.

5) JaCoby Jones, CF, Tigers
His 2019 season ended on Aug. 8 when he fractured his left wrist. That was the last of three stints on the IL that limited him to 88 games. He’s off to a great start with a 1.168 OPS, while placing in the 87th percentile in hard-hit percentage and the top 92 percentile in barrels per plate appearance.

6) Brandon Lowe, 2B, Rays
Last season, he was the leading contender for American League Rookie of the Year honors until he fouled a ball off his right shin on July 2. He played in just six more regular-season games. His .514 slugging percentage was the second-highest in AL history by a rookie middle infielder with at least 300 plate appearances, trailing only Nomar Garciaparra (.534) in 1997. This season, he has an .881 OPS and is tied for the MLB lead in triples (two).

7) Kyle Freeland, LHP, Rockies
We started this list with a Rockies pitcher, and we’ll end it with one, too.

Freeland is a reminder that the good ones evolve. After finishing fourth in the 2018 National League Cy Young Award voting thanks to 33 starts and a 2.85 ERA, he had a difficult 2019 (6.73 ERA in 22 starts). He says the 2020 MLB baseball feels different in his hand, but Freeland has dramatically changed his pitch usage. He’s throwing his fastball only around 32% of the time, down from 52% in 2019. Meanwhile, he has tripled the number of changeups and sliders. Opposing hitters have a .208 batting average against the changeup with just one extra-base hit.