Heading into the 2016 MLB season, there were quite a few who had questions or concerns about the Detroit Tigers‘ starting rotation. One major question mark in particular was Anibal Sanchez.

After leading the American League in ERA in 2013, Sanchez took a slight step back in a 2014 campaign in which he was limited to only 22 games (21 starts). Last year, the wheels really fell off, as he went 10-10 with a bloated 4.99 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in another injury-shortened season.

Early on in spring training of this year, Sanchez was struck by a case of triceps inflammation, but was ultimately able to make two preseason starts for the Tigers. In his first two regular season starts, the 32-year-old right-hander has given fans plenty of reason to be hopeful.

In his 2016 debut against the Miami Marlins, his former team, Sanchez went five innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, three walks and striking out three. This past Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he went 5.2 innings, again allowing just four hits, two earned runs, three walks and this time striking out four. Overall, he is now 2-0 on the season with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.

Of course, going forward this season, there are still a few areas that Sanchez can improve upon. For example, it would be nice to see him go deeper into games, and while the sample size is admittedly small, his current 5.06 BB/9 will need to come down as well. That being said, the Tigers should be very encouraged by what they have seen out of Sanchez thus far, especially when considering the fact that he didn’t even make his first spring start until Mar. 21.

Expecting Sanchez to regain his 2013 form in its entirety may still be a pretty tall order, but based on what he has shown thus far, he should be more than capable of improving upon his numbers from last season. If he can just stay healthy, Sanchez could be poised for a big bounce-back campaign. He can also be a stabilizing force in the Tigers’ rotation.