Blue Jays' Manoah has another rough outing with Triple-A Buffalo

Just when it seemed like former Toronto Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah was getting back on track, he took another major step backwards yesterday.

In his second start of the season for Triple-A Buffalo last week, Manoah impressed, allowing just two runs through 5.2 innings. It was a much-needed bounce back after allowing four runs and eight hits in 3.1 innings his first time out with Buffalo this season.

There had been chatter recently that Manoah may soon return to the Blue Jays rotation, and a big performance yesterday may have been enough to earn him that opportunity. Instead, he gave up six earned runs through three innings versus the Iowa Cubs. Five of those runs came on two home runs. He also issued four walks while allowing seven hits.

Alek Manoah tonight in Triple-A:

3 IP • 6 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 5 K
• 2 HR

I liked how he looked last time out, but this is a step back. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 24, 2024

Manoah, who was a Cy Young finalist and AL All-Star in 2022, saw his game fall off a cliff last season. After entering the year pencilled in as the Jays’ number one starter, he wound up being demoted on two different occasions, first to the Florida Complex League and then later on to Buffalo. In 19 starts with the Jays in 2023, he had a 5.87 ERA along with a 3-9 record.

The 26-year-old Manoah was expected to begin the 2024 season with the Blue Jays but felt some soreness in his shoulder during spring training and was played on the 15-day injured list.

The Blue Jays staff seems committed to getting him back into their rotation, but with ugly performances like this piling up, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to envision that happening.

You might also like:
• Blue Jays calling up prospect for potential MLB debut: report