Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah will return from the minors and rejoin the big-league rotation in time to start against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. Manager John Schneider broke the news to reporters on Tuesday.
Manoah, 25, had a standout 2022 -- his second season in the majors -- as he pitched to a 2.24 ERA and a 3.53 K/BB ratio in 196 2/3 innings. For his efforts, he was an All-Star selection and finished third in the AL Cy Young balloting. Coming into 2023, the Jays considered Manoah to be their young ace, but early struggles this season led to a demotion. Through his first 13 starts of 2023 for Toronto, Manoah had an ERA of 6.36 with 42 walks and 11 home runs allowed in 58 innings.
Following his demotion all the way down the bottom rungs of the system, Manoah worked on the side and didn't appear in a game for more than two weeks. His first appearance for the Complex League team went quite poorly, but Manoah looked more like himself in his second start, this one at the Double-A level. The Jays apparently saw enough in that second start -- 10 strikeouts in five innings -- to merit a recall. In Manoah's absence, the Toronto rotation has been stretched thin, so there's likely some element of necessity informing the decision to bring Manoah back at this time.
The Tigers' offense ranks 13th in the American League in runs scored and 14th in OPS, so there's the potential for Manoah to enjoy a soft landing on Friday. The Jays, above .500 for the season but lodged in fourth place in the tough AL East, need a return to form from the the big right-hander.
