Nearly nine months after he last stepped on a major-league mound, the Blue Jays’ one-time ace is back.
Alek Manoah will be recalled from his rehab stint in Triple-A Buffalo to make the start in Sunday’s series finale in Washington, D.C., his first big-league assignment since giving up four runs on four hits and three walks in four innings in a 4-3 loss in Cleveland last August 10.
The trials and tribulations of the 26-year-old have been well-documented over the past year. He has had a precipitous decline from being the club’s ace.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting in 2022 but was one of baseball’s worst starting pitchers last season, winding up with a 5.87 ERA and 1.740 WHIP while averaging fewer than 4 2/3 innings per start.
The Homestead, Fla., native came to spring training this season with a resculpted body and appeared to be back in his old frame of mind, but a shoulder injury shut him down after one spring start.
He began his rehab by getting knocked around in low class-A Dunedin, but his last start with Triple-A Buffalo was everything the Jays wanted to see from him.
Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top farm club, Manoah took a one-hit shutout into the sixth inning before allowing a solo home run to Nick Gonzales. He wound up allowing that one run and two hits over six innings, with a dozen strikeouts against only two walks. He threw 92 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Manoah slides into the rotation spot vacated by Yariel Rodriguez, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with thoracic spine inflammation on Tuesday.
While the Jays could have used some well-timed days off to keep their four healthy starters on regular rest, they’ve chosen instead to give Manoah the chance to show them that he can contribute once again.
Mike Wilner
is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the
baseball podcast “Deep Left Field.” Follow him on Twitter: @wilnerness
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