It will be some time before Toronto Blue Jays fans see Alek Manoah back on the mound.
The 26-year-old injured his elbow last June and wound up requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. He’s aware that there’s still plenty of rehab ahead of him; however, that doesn’t seem to bother him. Instead, he’s treating himself as if he will be a midseason pickup that can give the Blue Jays the push they need to not only make the playoffs, but also go on a deep run.
“Every morning I wake up and my alarm goes off, I tell myself, ‘This is what we’re doing it for.’ To go win a World Series next year, to go be a deadline acquisition for the Toronto Blue Jays,” Manoah said. “I [just want] to help as much as I can for the last two months of the season. That’s what I’m striving for. Get bullpens in March, live [batting practices] in June, and then get some rehabs going. Hopefully be in a position to help this team down the stretch.”
Manoah also explained that he’s talked with many other pitchers who have undergone the same surgery in hopes of knowing what to expect. While some days are better than others, things appear to be progressing faster than he had originally projected.
“I’m grateful to see weekly progressions. It’s crazy to think [that it’s been] seven months. For me, week after week, day after day, just stacking those, and then you look back and think, ‘Wow, it’s been seven months already,’” Manoah said to Mike Wilner on the Deep Left Field podcast. “It’s been going amazing. I’m in the fourth week of my throwing progression.”
After a rough 2023 season in which he was optioned on two separate occasions, Manoah appeared to be regaining his old form in 2024. Through five starts, he had managed a 3.70 ERA, and it was clear to anybody tuning in that his confidence was quickly returning. Blue Jays fans will be eagerly awaiting his return in 2025 to see if he can return to being the dominant force he was in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.