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.
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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.
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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.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Optioned to Triple-A
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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: Snags third win
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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.
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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.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Regresses against Friars
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Manoah (2-8) took the loss Tuesday as the Blue Jays were routed 9-1 by the Padres, giving up four runs on three hits and five walks over three-plus innings. He failed to strike out a batter.
After an encouraging outing against Detroit in his return from a stint in the minors to fix his mechanics, Manoah's issues with getting the ball over the plate resurfaced with a vengeance -- he tossed only 49 of 92 pitches for strikes before getting the hook, and he's now issued at least five free passes three times in his last seven big-league starts. The right-hander can't be relied upon in any fantasy format until he has a sustained run of success, and his spot in the rotation could be on thin ice with Hyun Jin Ryu (elbow) in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Strong outing in return
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Manoah (2-7) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on five hits over six innings in a 12-2 win over the Tigers. He struck out eight and didn't issue a walk.
Manoah struggled to start the year and was sent to the Florida Complex League in early June to get right. He slowly worked his way back to Toronto's rotation and pitched at the big-league level Friday for the first time since June 5. It was one of the right-hander's better starts of the campaign, as he struck out a season-high eight batters and completed six innings for just the third time in 14 appearances. Manoah's 5.91 ERA and 1.80 WHIP still need a lot of work, but the 2019 first-round pick's performance versus the Tigers was encouraging. Manoah's next start is scheduled for after the All-Star break.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Called up ahead of start Friday
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Manoah was called up from Double-A New Hampshire on Friday and will start against the Tigers.
As expected, Manoah will make his return to the big-league rotation Friday. The 25-year-old was sent down to the Florida Complex League in early June and has slowly worked his way back to Toronto's roster. Manoah made one start with New Hampshire, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters against Portland on Sunday. Over 13 major-league outings, he's struggled to a bloated 6.36 ERA and 1.90 WHIP with a 7.4 K/9 ratio, which is the lowest of his three-year MLB career.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Wednesday's Waiver Wire Targets
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The Blue Jays announced they will recall Alek Manoah to start Friday against the Tigers, a relatively quick return after Manoah was sent down to the minors following an absolutely disastrous start to the season. The Blue Jays sent Manoah down to their Spring Training complex to work on things, and he looked much improved in a Double-A start last week, striking out 10 over five one-run innings. That was apparently enough to satisfy the organization, and while I think skepticism is definitely warranted about Manoah's likely performance moving forward, I do absolutely view him as a must-roster pitcher now that he's back. There's no guarantee that the mechanical tweaks Manoah made away from the big-league club will end up being enough to fix him, but there just aren't many pitchers available with this kind of upside on waivers at any point during the season. Remember, Manoah had a 2.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts last season and was a high-end SP2 for Fantasy coming into the season. If he rediscovers that form, he could be a huge difference maker in the second half.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Starting for Jays on Friday
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The Blue Jays will call up Manoah from Double-A New Hampshire to start Friday against the Tigers, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
After a horrendous showing in rookie ball, Manoah bounced back nicely in Double-A, surrendering just one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters over five innings Sunday. Manoah was optioned to the Florida Complex League in early June to work on his mechanics, and he'll get a chance to ease back into the majors against a Tigers offense that ranks 29th in OPS (.671).
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Fans 10 in Double-A start
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Manoah struck out 10 and gave up one run on three hits and three walks over five innings in a start for Double-A New Hampshire on Sunday.
While this performance was a huge leap forward from his last outing in the Florida Complex League, there were still signs Manoah isn't yet ready to rejoin the Blue Jays rotation. The right-hander threw only 47 of 82 pitches for strikes, and the organization will likely want to see better efficiency from him before considering his reset a success. Per Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic, Manoah was sitting 93-94 mph with his fastball and topped out at 95 mph, a step up from the 92.8 mph he averaged through his first 13 big-league starts this year -- just one of the factors that led to a brutal 6.36 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 2.1 percent K%-BB%. The Jays have yet to announce when, or at which level, he will make his next start.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Moves to Double-A
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Manoah will make his next start with Double-A New Hampshire on Sunday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Despite being hammered for 11 runs in just 2.2 innings during his time in rookie ball, the Blue Jays still felt that Manoah was able to do everything he needed to do and have now rewarded him with a promotion to Double-A. Although he was promoted rather quickly, it's still apparent Manoah has a long way to go before he can rejoin the Jays' rotation -- especially if he doesn't find a way to recover from Tuesday's abysmal performance.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Team encouraged by outing
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Despite his awful line in the box score, the Blue Jays felt that Manoah did what he needed to do on the mound during Tuesday's start in the Florida Complex League, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports. "I obviously saw the line score and all that stuff, but I heard that the things we were talking about in terms of strike throwing, delivery, tempo, velo were all positive," manager John Schneider said.
While it's easy to view the outing as akin to a spring training start in which the results are less important than a pitcher getting in his work, it's still hard to ignore that Manoah -- who finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting last season -- was giving up homers to teenage hitters, eventually surrendering 11 runs in only 2.2 innings. The right-hander will need to show a lot more progress before he can advance up the minor-league ladder, and his return to the Blue Jays' rotation still appears to be weeks, if not months, away.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Starting minors game next week
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Manoah threw 74 pitches in his latest simulated game and will make at least one start in the minor leagues before returning to the big-league rotation, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manager John Schneider said Manoah is trending in the right direction but that there is no target date for his return to the big leagues. The big righty was up to 94 mph with his fastball in his sim game and will throw a bullpen session this weekend.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Close to minor-league outing
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Manoah is slated to throw another simulated game Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah threw 75 pitches in a simulated game last week and will look to build upon that pitch count Wednesday. Assuming all goes well Wednesday, the next time he faces hitters will be in a game setting at one of the Blue Jays' minor-league affiliates. Reports from Manoah's work at the team's spring training complex have been positive as he works on mechanics and other things in an effort to get back on track.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Slated for simulated game
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Manoah will throw a five-inning simulated game at the Blue Jays' spring training complex in Florida on Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The early feedback from Manoah's work in Dunedin has been positive and he has been cleared to face hitters for the first time while there. A timetable for the big right-hander's return to Toronto remains very much up in the air.
