Blue Jays Former Ace’s Return Could Be Beneficial

Alek Manoah’s return this season could be beneficial for the Blue Jays in the late stretch of the season, considering their rotation situation. Manoah is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected to return in August, making his debut.

Usually, a Manoah return wouldn’t be as exciting, considering how he hasn’t performed like the 2022 dominant Manoah, who finished third in Cy Young voting. But with the way the Blue Jays rotation has been this season, a Manoah return would be beneficial. With Scherzer only making one start, going three innings, and giving up two home runs, he was supposed to be the Blue Jays’ ace this season.

While Scherzer will be performing in his second rehab start on Wednesday, there are no guarantees that we will see the ace form of Scherzer. The Blue Jays need a healthy Scherzer, and even if they do get that, they also need the rest of the rotation to hold up. Everyone has been doing their part except for Bowden Francis, who has struggled with a 2-6 record and a 6.05 ERA. The stars are no longer aligning for Francis, who has also landed on the IL as of June 17th.

Blue Jays Former Cy Young Finalist’s Return Could be Beneficial

Manoah’s Redemption Clock Has Struck

It feels like we’re on repeat with Manoah, who we are still waiting for to return to his 2022 dominant ace form. So, will Manoah ever pitch like he did since 2022?

Manoah’s Struggles & Kick Start to Returning to Form

It’s unclear whether Manoah will pitch as well as he did in 2022. But he has shown glimpses of his former self in recent outings. While his 2022 season was top-notch, with a 2.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, his performance hype regressed in 2023. However, considering his age of 27 and a 3.70 ERA across five games in 2024, it indicates that he’s making progress towards regaining his dominance.

This is most evident in terms of command and reliability on the mound. The 2022 All-Star and Cy Young finalist illustrated solid command and a more than respectable ERA of 2.24 and 0.99 ERA. Unfortunately, in 2023, his significant decline led to an increase in walks and hit batters, and he struggled to record strikeouts and maintain consistency on the mound. (5.87 ERA and 3-9 record in 2023). However, he has recently shown that he’s ready to take another shot at illustrating his resilience. If Manoah can demonstrate his improved command and consistently throw strikes, it will mean big things for him.

Alek Manoah’s Return

While Manoah instantly pitching like an ace upon his return is unlikely, we will likely see improvements from him. All in all, it will be a process for Manoah to make more strides in his success. Manoah will need to focus on his secondary pitches (slider), which will be important in taking down opponents and being successful. Ultimately, the youngster’s future performance will depend on maintaining his recent progress and continuing to refine his command and pitch mix.

Main Photo Credits: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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