GDB 95.0: All eyes on Alek Manoah as Toronto Blue Jays hurler looks to build on successful return

It’s been 11 days since Alek Manoah had his last start for the Toronto Blue Jays.

And that one came 32 days after his last MLB start.

For Manoah, it’s been quite the season and we’re only a hair over halfway through it. His season has been filled with some of the lowest lows of his young career and culminated in a trip to the Jays’ Dunedin lab in early June to find his game.

He has — at least for now — appeared to do so. Beyond a rookie ball start where his numbers meant nothing, the two games he’s played since being sent down have been strong. He threw 5.0 innings for the AA Fisher Cats allowing three hits, three walks and fanning 10 of 20 batters faced, and followed it up with his start against the Detroit Tigers 11 days ago.

It’s hard to argue with what we saw there. He allowed five hits and issued no walks across six innings while sending down eight of 23 batters faced swinging. Now, the competition ramps up a notch with the San Diego Padres coming to town.

First pitch: 7:07 p.m. EST

Toronto Blue Jays: 53-41, 5.5 GB, +1.0 WCGB, +44 DIFF.

San Diego Padres: 44-50, 10.5 GB, 8.0 WCGB, +36 DIFF.

Moneyline: TOR +110; SDP +128.

TOR: Alek Manoah RHP – 2-7, 14 GS, 64.0 IP. 5.91 ERA, 5.97 FIP, 1.797 WHIP, 7.9 SO/9, 5.9 BB/9.

ARI: Joe Musgrove RHP – 8-2, 14 GS, 79.1 IP. 3.29 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.147 WHIP, 9.0 SO/9, 1.9 BB/9.

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about the Jays’ sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and rumours of a potential Marcus Stroman trade.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached -by email at zach@oilersnation.com.