The Toronto Blue Jays face significant uncertainty regarding their starting rotation for the 2025 season, particularly with Alek Manoah, who is expected to miss a large portion of the year. Manoah has been sharing updates on his recovery through videos posted over the offseason, which indicate positive progress, though he remains a long way from returning to the mound.

Recently, Manoah threw a baseball for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he shared his excitement on Instagram:

“Day 168 post-surgery. Hard to describe the emotions and excitement, feels like opening day in December. So much to be grateful for over these last 168 days, and even more gratifying today to do what I love the most—throw that little white ball! Thank you, God.”

The Blue Jays have received disappointing news, as recent updates indicate that Alek Manoah will likely miss most of the 2025 season. While many initially thought Manoah’s recovery from offseason elbow surgery would only cause him to miss a small part of the season’s start, it now appears he’ll be sidelined for a much longer period. A recent report discussing the potential of Jake Bloss starting in the Blue Jays’ rotation revealed that Manoah will likely be out for a significant portion of 2025, contrary to earlier expectations.

With Manoah unavailable, the rotation will rely on Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt as confirmed starters, while Yariel Rodriguez remains an unproven option. This puts the Blue Jays in a difficult position, especially given their already limited starting pitching depth. They will now need to find a temporary replacement for Manoah. Ideally, Manoah will return sooner than expected, but the best-case scenario appears to be him missing just the first couple of months of the season.