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鈥淚t鈥檚 been going amazing,鈥� the one-time Jays ace said in an expansive interview for Thursday鈥檚 episode of the Star’s baseball podcast, “Deep Left Field.”

“I’m starting the fourth week of my throwing progression. I feel like I’m eight years old again ... It feels great just to be able to play catch, to be able to feel healthy and just experience that excitement.”

Manoah, who went 25-9 with an incredible 2.60 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in his first two big-league seasons, is pinging the radar gun at close to 70 miles per hour as he builds up. He’s well aware that as great as he feels right now, the next few months are going to be rough.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of guys who have gone through it,” said Manoah, mentioning former teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu聽among others. “I try to put myself in their shoes while they were going through it. It’s almost like game planning for: OK, when things get tough, I knew this was coming.

“I think that mindset that I’ve had throughout this whole process has allowed me聽鈥� knock on wood聽鈥� to be smooth sailing up to this point. When I’m having a bad day, I don’t get super down because it’s a bad day. I instead get positive (because) this is Tommy John rehab. This was supposed to happen.”

After a terrible 2023, the soon to be 27-year-old started this past season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation and didn’t make his debut until early May聽鈥� roughed up in an 11-8 Jays loss in Washington. Over his next four starts, though, Manoah allowed a total of four earned runs. Then his elbow blew.

“Mentality-wise and passion-wise and heart-wise and competitive-wise, 100 per cent I was (back to my 2021 and 鈥�22 form),” said the Florida native. “Stuff-wise, 100 per cent was there, but mechanically it was still kind of off.”

Back on the mound now, Manoah is feeling like his old self.

“My arm is just so much lighter,” said Manoah. “It’s moving great. My arm action and the patterning of my arm has gone right back into the same slot that I was used to throwing at in college, and early on when I got brought up, you know, in 鈥�21 and 鈥�22. It just feels really good to be able to have that arm action and release point, and just have those extra little key features that allow everything to be in sync.”

He hopes to be throwing bullpens in March, live batting practice by June and rehab starts in the minors in July, before returning to the big leagues for the final two months.

As for the state of the team through this quiet off-season, Manoah said reliever聽Jordan Romano’s unceremonious departure “didn’t feel the best for anybody in the situation,” but he’s learned that “this isn’t friends biz, it’s show biz. The show must go on.”

He’s excited by the return of reliever Yimi Garc铆a and thrilled by the addition of defensive whiz Andr茅s Gim茅nez.

“He’s unbelievable,” Manoah said of the former Cleveland second baseman. “He’s one of the main reasons the Guardians have been as good as they’ve been.”

Manoah has “no doubt at all” that shortstop Bo Bichette, who he grew up playing against, will bounce back from his career-worst season.

And as far as first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is concerned, Manoah believes that locking up the star slugger with a contract extension now would help the Jays attract the other big bats they need.

“Vladdy is definitely our guy ... so I’m confident that whatever needs to get done will get done,” said Manoah. “And hopefully from that point forward, some other free agents (will) know what they’re going to get when they sign here and who they’ll be able to play with.”

We shall see. Whatever happens, Manoah will be hard at work behind the scenes, hoping there will be a playoff push to help with when he gets back.