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'Been a long journey': Toronto Blue Jays' Alek Manoah recaps first game in over a year

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Jul 14 2025, 8:13 pm
'Been a long journey': Toronto Blue Jays' Alek Manoah recaps first game in over a year
Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah might not have had the best game of his career on Monday, but he doesn’t appear to be letting the result affect him.

Manoah returned to the mound for the first time in over a year, starting his rehab stint in the Florida Complex League.

The 2022 Cy Young finalist faced five batters, giving up four runs (three earned) on two walks, a hit batter and a single. He managed just one out on a strikeout before being pulled.

Manoah has been out since last May, after undergoing Tommy John surgery after an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm.

He took to social media to share his thoughts on the game and focused more on the positives than the outcome of his performance.

“Man felt so great to be back out there, hear the national anthems and toe that rubber,” Manoah wrote on X. “392 days! Thank you, Jesus! Been a long journey, look forward to continuing to get better, have fun and COMPETE every day!!”

When will Manoah pitch for the Blue Jays?

Currently on a 30-day rehab assignment, Manoah could theoretically be back in the majors by some point in August.

But Manoah has hardly looked like the pitcher who finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022 over the last three years, and expecting him to suddenly return to those levels probably isn’t all that wise either.

When Manoah was last with the Blue Jays, he went 1-2 with an ERA of 3.70 and 26 strikeouts in five starts in 2024 before being shut down for the season. The year prior, he had a 3-9 record with an ERA of 5.87 in 19 appearances, pitching just 87.1 innings for the Blue Jays in 2023.

If he does find his way back to the major leagues and performs anywhere close to his potential, Manoah could end up being one of the best stories in baseball over the stretch drive of the season.

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