With Alek Manoah pitching so poorly, the Toronto Blue Jays sent the pitcher back to their spring training facility for some extra reps. As Manoah looks to get back on track, his return path to the Blue Jays has been revealed.

Manoah is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday and is hoping to reach five innings, via Keegan Matheson of of MLB.com. He will be facing some of Toronto's younger prospects who are also at the spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida.

The right-hander lasted 13 starts in Toronto before his shocking demotion. However, the only shocking thing about it was where Manoah was sent. In those 13 starts, Manoah carried a 1-7 record with a 6.36 ERA and a brutal 48/42 K/BB ratio. Between his propensity to give up runs and his startling walk numbers, Manoah did not look like the pitcher of just a season ago.

Toronto is hoping his stint back at the spring training facility will help Manoah re-find his groove. His first start – albeit in a simulated situation – will at least start the process of the pitcher returning to the Blue Jays.

When he does, the Jays are counting on Manoah returning to his 2022 form. Named to his first All Star game, Manoah put up a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA and a 180/51 K/BB ratio.

While they're 38-32 on the season, the Blue Jays are still 11 games back in the AL East. If they want to make a deep postseason run, a productive Alek Manoah would certainly provide some insurance. How he responds to this simulated start and if Manoah can truly bounce back are still up in the air.