Toronto Blue Jays' Alek Manoah ramping up, return date getting closer

It has been a great extended stretch of baseball for the Blue Jays of late.

After a statement series winning ten in a row and sweeping the New York Yankees, Toronto proved to the rest of the AL that they are contenders.

Now, with the trade deadline approaching, the Blue Jays will likely be aggressive and try to improve their roster.

The one glaring issue for them so far has been starting pitching, and that is an area they will look to upgrade.

However, some internal help might be on the way with Alek Manoah set to make his first rehab start since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

This is a massive step in the right direction for the right-hander regarding the potential timeline he is on. Toronto could very well have him back on the roster at some point before the end of the year.

When healthy, Manoah has flashed some serious upside for the Blue Jays, so getting him back would be great not only for the playoff push, but to knock off rust for 2026 as well.

The 27-year-old was an All-Star back in 2022, totaling a 16-7 record and 2.24 ERA in 31 starts. He finished third in the American League Cy Young voting that campaign, and it looked like he was headed toward stardom.

Unfortunately, he followed up the amazing season with a very poor one in 2023, totaling an ERA over 5.00.

Last year, things were looking much better with an ERA of 3.70 before he suffered the season-ending injury.

Now, the right-hander will be trying to get back into the rotation. It has been quite a while since he was last seen on the mound for Toronto, and it's impossible to predict if he will be able to contribute at all in 2025.

However, as a former All-Star, Manoah's progress in his rehab starts will be something the franchise will be keeping a close eye on to see if he can return this year.