After a grueling 706-day journey, former All-Star pitcher Alek Manoah finally returned to the big leagues on Friday, making his debut for the Los Angeles Angels against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a moment years in the making, and for Manoah, it felt like starting all over again.

"It was good, man. Felt like a debut again," Manoah said after the game, per MLB. "It's been a long time, so it was good to be out there, pumping some strikes."

Manoah's last MLB appearance came on May 29, 2024, when he was still a key part of Toronto's starting rotation. The 2021 Rookie of the Year and 2022 Pitcher of the Year for the Blue Jays had quickly become one of baseball's most electric arms, earning an All-Star nod in 2022. But his career took a sudden turn after just five starts in 2024, when an elbow injury forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery that June.

The entire 2025 season was spent on rehab assignments in Toronto's minor league system, but the Blue Jays designated him for assignment on Sept. 23. After a brief stint with the Atlanta Braves from late September to November, Manoah signed with the Angels in free agency this past December. He was on track for an early-season debut, but a fingernail injury during spring training pushed back his return until Friday.

When he finally took the mound for the Angels, Manoah delivered a clean inning out of the bullpen, striking out one batter and allowing no hits or runs. For a player who once anchored a rotation and now finds himself building back up, it was a powerful step forward.

"I thought about it probably every day of that 700-day journey," Manoah shared, reflecting on his long road back. "Just doing everything I can — the rehab, trying to get my body right, my mind right, get everything right. I'm just happy to get the opportunity."

His story is a testament to resilience, and for Angels fans, it's a glimpse of what could be a valuable bullpen piece as the season unfolds.