Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Leg up on rotation spot for 2024
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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said this week that Manoah (arm) has "earned the right to have a strong leg up" for an Opening Day rotation spot in 2024, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
The 25-year-old right-hander was demoted to the minors two different times in 2023 and finished the year in shutdown mode following multiple late-September injections to reduce inflammation and soreness in his throwing arm. He can now wipe the slate clean, though, and look to rediscover his early-career form leading into next season. A first-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, Manoah compiled a dominant 2.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 307:91 K:BB over his first 308.1 major-league innings between 2021-22.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Injections were pitcher's idea
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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters over the weekend that the injections Manoah was given in his right shoulder late in the season were initiated by the pitcher, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
"It was his decision," Atkins said. "We supported him. He made the decision on his own to move in that direction. There were no structural issues." The GM also acknowledged that Manoah "disagreed with the decision" to option him on both occasions, which "created some frustration." However, Atkins also noted that Manoah has not asked to be traded and the GM is "very much looking forward to him being back in our rotation" next season. While it seems as though Manoah might need to mend some fences with the organization, his primary concern will be to figure out what happened in 2023 and rectifying it.
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Receives injections in pitching arm
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Manoah has officially been ruled out for the season after receiving multiple injections in his right arm in recent weeks, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Blue Jays team doctors have found no structural damage in Manoah's pitching arm, but the hurler has continued meeting with additional specialists over the last month. The goal with those visits, per Nicholson-Smith, is to rule out elbow and shoulder problems as well as thoracic outlet syndrome. The injections were given in order to reduce inflammation and soreness. Manoah hasn't thrown off a mound in several weeks, and it's not clear when he might be able to again. Regardless, he's not going to make it back before the end of this season, which officially closes the book on what has been a nightmarish campaign for the 25-year-old righty.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Likely shut down for 2023
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Manoah is unlikely to pitch again this season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo a month ago and was cleared of any health issues last week after having testing done and meeting with multiple specialists. However, the righty hasn't thrown off the mound in a month and one source told Nicholson-Smith that Manoah's lingering health concerns have led to him prioritizing rest and recovery. Jeff Blair of Sportsnet.ca reported on his "Blair and Barker" podcast that Manoah never reported to Buffalo after being optioned to Triple-A, in large part because he was upset about the Blue Jays' decision to demote him. Manoah and the Blue Jays look as though they will need to repair their relationship over the offseason, not to mention the work the 25-year-old has ahead of him as he looks to bounce back from a dreadful 2023 campaign.
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Cleared of any health issues
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Manoah has joined Triple-A Buffalo to be built back up after a wide range of medical tests cleared him of any major structural issues, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah hasn't pitched since being optioned to Buffalo nearly two weeks ago, and we now know it's because he was going through a battery of tests to see if anything physical has contributed to his 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP this season. No red flags were found, though, so he'll be thrown into Buffalo's rotation as he looks to get back on track. It's too soon to write Manoah off for the long haul, but he certainly can't be counted on by the Blue Jays or fantasy managers for the rest of 2023.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Next steps undetermined
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Manoah has yet to pitch for Triple-A Buffalo since being demoted eight days ago, with the Blue Jays still working out when he'll return to the mound, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah isn't dealing with any reported injuries this season but has seen his effectiveness completely evaporate, going from a 2.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP last season to a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 2023. He's been demoted on two separate occasions, and the Blue Jays are seemingly in no rush to get him back in the big-league rotation. It's hard to count on him even returning at all this season, let alone returning and pitching at a high level. Perhaps the patient approach the Jays are taking helps him return to viability next season.
Manoah was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
After getting tagged for four runs in four innings Thursday against Cleveland, Manoah will once again return to the minors in order to get back on track. The right-hander was optioned all the way down to the Florida Complex League in early June to work on his mechanics, and he's put up a 4.91 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 29.1 innings since returning to the major-league rotation. Hagen Danner was recalled from Buffalo in a corresponding move.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Command issues in loss
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Manoah (3-9) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over four innings against Cleveland. He struck out six.
Manoah struggled with his command early on, allowing three walks and two hits over the first two innings, which would lead to two runs coming across for the Guardians. The right-hander then put together two 1-2-3 innings and even struck out the side in the fourth before surrendering back-to-back doubles to open the bottom of the fifth, which led to him being relieved by Genesis Cabrera. The right-hander has allowed at least three runs in four of his last five starts and has failed to make it through five innings in three of those outings.
Manoah (3-8) picked up the win in Friday's 7-3 victory over the Red Sox, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander continues to battle his control and consistency -- he hit another batter with a pitch, his fourth HBP in his last three starts, and he's issued multiple free passes in four straight outings -- but Manoah has at least looked a little more confident and aggressive on the mound since being sent down to the minors to reset. In five starts since his early July return, he's posted a 4.26 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, numbers that represent a vast improvement on the 6.36 ERA and 1.90 WHIP he stumbled to over his first 13 trips to the mound in 2023. Manoah will continue his efforts to regain his old form on the road next week in Cleveland.
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Allows one run in no-decision
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Manoah did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks over 4.1 innings against the Angels. He struck out six.
Manoah hit Shohei Ohtani with a pitch in the opening frame but managed to strike out the other three batters he faced to get out of the inning unscathed. The right-hander would then hurl three more scoreless innings before also beaning Taylor Ward with the bases loaded to drive home the first run for either team on the afternoon. Manoah would not make it out of the fifth inning, but with Saturday's performance he's now allowed one or fewer runs in two of his last four starts. However, he's also posted a 12:12 K:BB over his last three outings.
Manoah allowed three runs on three hits and four walks over 5.1 innings in Sunday's win over Seattle. He struck out six and did not factor in the decision.
Through five innings, the only damage against Manoah was Mike Ford's two-run shot in the second inning. Manoah has walked nine batters in his last two starts after posting an 8:0 K:BB in his MLB return July 7. His season ERA now sits at 6.10 with a 62:51 K:BB through 16 starts. Manoah's next outing is currently scheduled to be at home against the Angels.
