Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah, on his way back from a topsy-turvy season that saw him land back in the minor leagues, felt some soreness during a bullpen session on Friday at the team’s training facility in Dunedin, Florida.
The starter had an MRI that showed “no structural concern at all,” manager John Schneider said on Saturday.
“He was throwing and kind of just said ‘Eh, it feels a little bit cranky,’ and just wanted to be extra careful at this point in camp,” Schneider added.
Manoah went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts for Toronto in 2022. But he struggled last year, going 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts. He was optioned to the minors twice.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander hit three batters and threw just 17 of 38 pitches for strikes while working 1 2/3 innings in his first spring start on Tuesday.
“Didn’t really bounce back the way he wanted to after his start, so we’re kind of just taking it day to day right now,” Schneider said.
Manoah spoke to reporters last month, after his arrival at camp, and spoke of his motivation after the season to forget.
“If you look at the biomechanics, my body was a little out of whack, mechanics were a little out of whack,” Manoah said. “Nobody wants to go out there and let their teammates down.”
“This is the best he’s looked throughout his entire career,” Jansen said. “It looks like everything he’s done is going to help him on the mound. He’s a confident dude. What he’s done in the past isn’t a fluke.”
Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen has been impressed in the early going.
“This is the best he’s looked throughout his entire career,” Jansen said. “It looks like everything he’s done is going to help him on the mound. He’s a confident dude. What he’s done in the past isn’t a fluke.”
Should he reclaim his spot in the starting rotation, Manoah would join a group that includes Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.