Blue Jays News: Alek Manoah set for 2024 season debut against Nationals on Sunday

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is coming off a 2023 season he would like to forget. He struggled for much of the season and was sent down to the minors twice.

Now Manoah is ready to close that chapter and start afresh this year. Per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, the right-hander will make his season debut against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Manoah is already with the team, as he was seen in the clubhouse on Saturday. Sunday will mark the first time he has pitched in a big league game since Aug 10.

It will be interesting to see how well the right-hander fares out there. Before his poor 2023 season, Manoah was dominant and made his first All-Star appearance in 2022.

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What happened to Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah last season?

Toronto Blue Jays - Alek Manoah (Image via USA Today)

Toronto Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah came into the 2023 season with high expectations. He was coming off his first All-Star Game appearance and was the team's Opening Day starter.

However, things would quickly unrave,l as he was roughed up on Opening Day. After that, things gradually got worse and worse.

He would be sent down all the way to rookie ball to try and figure out what was going on. After making his way back to the MLB, he would quickly be sent back down again and eventually shut down for the season.

Many have pointed to the pitch clock as being one of the reasons why Manoah has seemingly started to struggle out of nowhere. Others believe the back, knee, and quad pain played a big part in his struggles last season.

There's no telling which type of pitcher will return to the mound for the Jays against the Nationals on Sunday. Hopefully, Manoah is back to his All-Star form.