Finally, some good news on the injury front for the Toronto Blue Jays. Keegan Matheson with MLB.com is reporting that right-hander Alek Manoah will be throwing off the mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer.
In 2024, the former first round pick of the Jays started the year on the IL with shoulder inflammation before appearing in five games for Toronto, tossing a 3.70 ERA with 26 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 24 1/3 innings. He left his late May start against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning and shortly after, Manoah was getting his elbow operated on.
The starter wasn’t the only Jays pitcher to go under the knife last year, as prospects Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera, and Landen Maroudis (amongst others) all missed a good chunk of last season due to Tommy John.
Every once in a while, the daily schedule the #BlueJays use send out Spring Training has some good news tucked inside it.
This morning, at 10:10am, Alek Manoah will throw off a mound for the first time since undergoing a hybrid Tommy John surgery on June 17, 2024. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 14, 2025
For Manoah, the Florida product is looking to get back on track to right the ship of what has been a couple of struggling campaigns.
A Cy Young finalist in 2022, Manoah struggled in his third season with the Blue Jays to the tune of a 5.87 ERA and a 6.01 FIP through 19 starts, spending some time in minor leagues and at the Dunedin Player Development Complex to get back on track. Command was a big issue for the right-hander, as he authored a 6.1 BB/9 and was allowing too many free passes.
Looking ahead, Manoah is currently on track to return in the second half of the 2025 season, which could provide a significant boost for the Blue Jays down the stretch – especially if they are in the postseason hunt – providing a potentially similar spark that Hyun Jin Ryu gave the team back in 2023 when he returned from his elbow injury.