Is Alek Manoah in Line to Return to the Big Leagues?

West Virginia baseball alum Alek Manoah could get called back up to the show sooner than later.

Feb 15, 2024; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah (6) participates in / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Former West Virginia ace Alek Manoah got off to an incredible start in his pro career, flying through the minor league system and up into the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays.

As a rookie, he showed signs of being a really solid starting pitcher, posting an ERA of 3.22 in 20 starts to go along with a 9-2 record. Year two was even better. As a matter of fact, he was among the most dominant pitchers in all of Major League Baseball, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting.

Then 2023 happened.

All of a sudden he couldn’t find the strike zone, losing command of just about every pitch in his repertoire. He saw his walks per nine skyrocket from 2.3 to 6.1 which translated to not being able to pitch deep into games. Things got so bad that the Blue Jays felt it was best to option him back down to the minors, sending him all the way down to rookie ball to work things out. Even there, he had struggles. He eventually made his way back to the big league clube in July, but allowed three or more runs in four of his final six outings.

He began the 2024 season on the injured list rehabbing a shoulder injury and is now working his way back to the bigs on a rehab stint with Triple-A affiliate, Buffalo.

Heading into his start on Tuesday night, sharing the rubber with the top pitching prospect in baseball, Paul Skenes, Manoah had an ERA of 11.85. He left the game arguably outdueling Skenes, striking out 12 hitters over six innings and allowing one run on just two hits. The dominant performance was reminiscent of his first two years in the bigs and has some speculating a potential return to the big league club in Toronto.

The Blue Jays placed starting pitcher Yariel Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with thoracic spine inflammation and Toronto has yet to announce when/where Manoah will make his next start. They could conceivably go with a four-man rotation and use the off days in between to help bridge the gap while utilizing a couple bullpen games for that fifth spot in the rotation. Or… they could give Manoah another shot.

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