Blue Jays Send Pitcher Alek Manoah Back to Minors

Thursday was another rough day for the 25-year-old Alek Manoah. The right-hander struggled in Cleveland against the Guardians. With a pitching rotation to balance and a slower pace to the schedule for the next couple of weeks, the Blue Jays opted to send him down to Buffalo in the Triple-A league.

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Blue Jays’ Pitcher Alek Manoah Back in Triple-A

There are no two ways about it. The 2023 season has been bad for Alek Manoah. The opening day pitcher is 3-9 with a 5.78 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. There is no way he comes close to the 180 strikeouts he earned last season and most likely not the 127 from his rookie 2021 campaign.

Thursday’s effort in Cleveland appears to be the nail in the coffin for a temporary change. With six starters, manager John Schneider and his crew had a decision to make. As such, Manoah will get some play time with Buffalo in Triple-A. It’s the second time this year he is sent to partake in minor league baseball.

Since returning to the rotation on July 7 from his first demotion, Manoah had four starts in which he allowed three runs or fewer and only one run twice. But four earned runs in four innings against the Guardians was enough for the coach to pull the hook on him. The Blue Jays went on to lose the contest 4-3.

It should be noted that right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner has been called up from Buffalo. This is the 24-year-old’s first time suiting up for his major league club.

The Blue Jays (65-52) open a weekend series at home against the Chicago Cubs (59-56) on Friday.