CARSON, Calif.  As Landon Donovan was leaving a small group of reporters at the edge of the practice field Thursday, exiting stage left, he caught a glimpse of David Beckham, who had emerged after working out in the gym, ready to take his place.

“Hey, thanks for showing up, pal,” Donovan said, joking, as both men laughed.

In another time, having Beckham arrive in the middle of the season would have created a sensation  and not necessarily a comfortable one for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

But as Beckham prepares to return to the Galaxy after being sidelined for six months with a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon, he is doing so relatively quietly, without the trappings of a pop culture icon. Instead of landing with a splash, he is barely creating a ripple.

“It’s a great thing,” said Beckham, 35, who was activated Thursday and could play as a substitute Saturday night in a Major League Soccer game against Columbus. “No one likes drama.”