Alek Manoah is Making Progress, Trending Toward a Return to Blue Jays in 2025

The former WVU ace is progressing in his rehab.

May 12, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah (6) speaks to team mates in the dug out after the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Alek Manoah made his way back to the big leagues last season after taking a detour to the minor leagues to straighten out some issues he had with his control and placement of certain pitches. In those five starts, Manoah looked a lot more like the rookie version of himself that took the MLB by storm. He pitched to the tune of a 3.70 ERA in 24.1 innings, striking out 26 and only walking eight.

Unfortunately, that strong return to Toronto came to an abrupt end as he had to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament.

Manoah is making his way back once again and will do so with a little extra motivation. He and his wife, Marielena, recently welcomed their son into the world.

According to Arden Zwelling of Blue Jays on SportsNet, Manoah should be back in Toronto at some point later this season."He is in Dunedin, throwing bullpens regularly and advancing through his Tommy John rehab progression. He remains on track to return to Blue Jays sometime in the second half of the season."

In 75 career big league starts, Manoah has a 29-20 record and an ERA of 3.34. He's 88 strikeouts away from 500 for his career.

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