Manoah Set to Return for the Blue Jays

Former West Virginia University hurler Alek Manoah has returned from rehabbing his shoulder and will start against the Nationals

Alek Manoah is scheduled to make his 2024 MLB debut on Sunday.

The former West Virginia ace is set to start for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Washington Nationals according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Manoah was sidelined with shoulder soreness during spring training, an infliction he has dealt with since the backend of last season and has been rehabbing in the Minor Leagues since the beginning of the season.

The former All Star had a tumultuous start to his return with the Dunedin Blue Jays, a Single A affiliate out of Florida, allowing seven runs – six earned – in 1.2 innings of work. He would move to the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A) and after his first three outings, held a 9.00 ERA, although in the middle of the three-game stretch, tossed 5.2 innings and allowed two runs with five strikeouts.

Manoah bounced back in his final game with the Bison, striking out 12 in six innings of work.

Last season, Manoah struggled after having a Cy Young caliber season in 2022. He went 1-7 in his first 13 starts with a 6.36 ERA before a two-game stint in the Minors. He made six more starts to finalize his 2023 season, and although he lowered his ERA to 5.87, Toronto sent him back down to the Minors and made no more appearances for the year.

Manoah, West Virginia University’s career strikeout leader (144), was drafted 11th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.

As a rookie, he went 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA and followed it with a 16-7 record and a 2.24 ERA in 2022 and finished third in Cy Young voting.