Toronto Blue Jays' Rehabbing Former Ace Struggles Again on Wednesday

Alek Manoah was thought to be joining the Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation again soon, but perhaps he needs more time in Triple-A after his latest struggle.

After pitching well his last two times out in the minor leagues, Toronto Blue Jays' former ace Alek Manoah struggled at Triple-A on Wednesday night.

The righty, who finished third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022, is attempting to come back after a disastrous 2023 season and an injury-filled early 2024.

The following comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Manoah (shoulder) yielded six runs on seven hits and four walks over three innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

ANALYSIS
Manoah had seemed to make some strides in his previous two rehab outings, but he took a big step backward Wednesday. The right-hander's velocity was down 0.8 mph on both his sinker and four-seamer and down 1.4 mph on his slider, which was his most-used pitch in the start. Manoah walked four of the 19 batters he faced and surrendered a pair of home runs.

The Florida native went 3-9 last season with a 5.87 ERA, making just 19 appearances. The Blue Jays had opportunities to trade him this offseason but elected to keep him, likely because of his potential and his affordability. He was 16-7 in 2022 and started Game 1 of the Blue Jays' playoff run that year. He also went 9-2 in his debut 2021 season.

If and when Manoah does return to the rotation, he'll likely bump Yariel Rodriguez to the bullpen. The Cuban was signed this offseason and has pitched well, but could shift to a long relief role.

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