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Alek Manoah looking like himself after rehab start with Fisher Cats

The 27-year-old right hander is showing signs of progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery
ByJake Ferraro|
Alek Manoah
Alek Manoah | Ron Schwane/GettyImages

In 2021 and 2022, Alek Manoah was one of the fastest rising pitchers in MLB with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2021, Manoah went 9-2 in 20 starts and finished with a 3.22 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched as a 23-year-old rookie. In 2022, Manoah became a first time All-Star, finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting and ended the year with a 6.0 bWAR. But after 2022, Manoah's production dropped significantly with a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts in 2023 and in June of 2024, Manoah suffered an elbow injury, requiring Tommy John Surgery.

The Blue Jays are unsure when exactly Manoah will return to the pitching staff as his recovery continues, however, a recent start for Manoah may have shown good signs are potentially ahead for the 27-year-old.

Manoah steady in rehab start in Double-A

This past Thursday, Manoah made his first ever rehab start in Double-A with the Blue Jays' affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Although the start wasn't long, Manoah was able to get through tough stretches. Manoah threw 3+ innings, allowing five hits and walking three batters on 64 pitches. 34 of those pitches were thrown for strikes and he struck out two batters. Manoah did allow two earned runs in the start as well.

Although Manoah may have had some struggles, it's an important step to show that he's able to start throwing in Double-A to get used to a higher level of competition once again. The Blue Jays, currently in first place in the American League, all of a sudden have the luxury of bidding their time with Manoah. While it would be great to see him pitch in 2025, the emergence of Eric Lauer, the continued production of Max Scherzer and the addition of Shane Bieber are all reasons to not have to rush the 6'6" Florida product, back to the Majors.

If the Blue Jays are in a postseason spot by the end of September and Manoah is ready, having him start one or two games with a pitch limit could be an idea to have him get used to MLB competition before Spring Training arrives in 2026.