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Toronto Blue Jays Summon Back Former Ace From Minor Leagues in Big Move

As was predicted, the Toronto Blue Jays are bringing back former ace Alek Manoah for a start on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

Brady Farkas

Feb 19, 2024; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah (6) prepares for the workout
Feb 19, 2024; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah (6) prepares for the workout / Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
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As was predicted to happen, the Toronto Blue Jays are bringing back former ace Alek Manoah on Sunday for a start against the Washington Nationals.

Per Arden Zwelling of SportsNet:

Alek Manoah will start for the Blue Jays on Sunday vs the Nationals — his first MLB outing since last August

Alejandro Kirk will be behind the plate

It's been a rollercoaster for Manoah over the last year and a half. First, he finished third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022 and started Game 1 of the playoffs for the Blue Jays. Then, in 2023, he went 3-9 with an ERA approaching six. He was sent to the minors on multiple occassions and eventually shut down for good at the end of the year. He came into this year's spring training in better shape but injured his shoulder and has been rehabbing at Triple-A the entire season.

Sunday will be fascinating because no one knows what to expect from Manoah.

Can the 26-year-old flash the greatness that made him an All-Star in 2022? Or will he be the guy who gave up six runs in a Single-A rehab start this season?

He's back in the rotation because Yariel Rodriguez is on the injured list with a back problem. If he pitches well, perhaps he can ward off Rodriguez for the No. 5 spot in the rotation even when he's healthy.

Manoah is 28-18 with a 3.32 ERA lifetime. He made his Major League debut during the 2021 season.

The Blue Jays and Nationals game will begin at 1:35 p.m. on Sunday.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.