Blue Jays Make Alek Manoah Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Graves | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 3:38 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays provided an update on right-hander Alek Manoah, who continues to make strides in his return from injury.

Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Manoah threw 25 pitchers to live hitters and touched 95 mph. He's expected to throw two innings in his next session.

"This is encouraging," Matheson wrote, "And while that Aug. 1 date everyone's circled for a return seems a little optimistic, Manoah has still nailed his rehab process and set himself up to return in 2025."

Matheson added that if the Blue Jays need rotation help down the stretch, they're more likely to address it at the trade deadline, with Manoah positioned as the "next of line defense." He also drew a comparison to Hyun Jin Ryu's 2023 return, suggesting Manoah could similarly provide a late-season boost.

Still, the broader goal is setting up the former All-Star for long-term success. “This is more about setting Manoah up for success in ’26 and beyond,” Matheson noted, “when he could be a key piece of this rotation once again.”

Manoah, 27, underwent Tommy John surgery on June 18, 2024. He’s dazzled at times in his career, earning an All-Star nod in 2022 and finishing third in AL Cy Young voting after posting a 2.24 ERA with 180 strikeouts over 196 2/3 innings.

Since then, however, he’s struggled to recapture that dominance, pitching to a 5.40 ERA across 111 2/3 innings (24 starts) over the past two seasons.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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