Struggling Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Alek Manoah Posts Bounce-Back Outing in Minors

Alek Manoah has rarely made headlines for the right reasons over the past few months, but he took a major step towards changing the narrative on Tuesday.

The one-time All-Star for the Toronto Blue Jays has yet to appear in the big leagues this season as he continues to work through a shoulder injury and issues with his mechanics. After posting a 5.87 ERA in 19 MLB starts last season, Manoah opened up 2024 with an 11.85 ERA through four minor league rehab outings.

Toronto has kept Manoah on track for a major league comeback, though, and he made what could be his final rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday. The 26-year-old right didn't disappoint, more than holding his own against baseball's top pitching prospect – Paul Skenes.

Skenes, who the Pittsburgh Pirates selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, allowed four hits and a walk across 6.0 scoreless innings on Tuesday, all while striking out seven Buffalo batters. Manoah very nearly matched that, tossing 6.0 innings of one-run ball while giving up two hits and two walks.

Manoah racked up 12 strikeouts as well, and he did it by relying heavily on his slider.

As noted by Rogers Sportsnet's Chris Black, Manoah threw 44 sliders on Tuesday – more than he ever had in any of his 70 MLB appearances. Manoah got 13 whiffs on his slider, which tied his MLB-high from back in 2021.

Buffalo eventually lost on an 11th-inning walk-off, but that hardly spoiled Manoah's top-notch performance.

The Blue Jays just placed Cuban rookie Yariel Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with a back issue, costing them yet another member of their starting rotation. With Rodriguez out and top prospect Ricky Tiedemann injured, the timing of Manoah's resurgence couldn't be any better.

Toronto doesn't currently have a probable starter on the books for Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. If he's cleared and called up in time, that spot could very well belong to Manoah.

The Blue Jays have several off days coming up, though, so they may be able to get by with a four-man rotation for the time being. In that case, they could ease Manoah back into a big-league role.

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