Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah made his first big-league start in more than a month on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers (GameTracker). He also notched his first quality start since April 5 in the process.
Manoah held the Tigers to one run on five hits and no walks. He struck out eight of the 23 batters he faced. According to Statcast, Manoah's fastball averaged 92.7 mph on the night, right in line with his seasonal average. He induced 11 whiffs on 50 swings, with seven on those coming on the heater. The other four empty swings came against Manoah's slider.
It's worth noting that Manoah's velocity, while on par for what he did prior to his demotion, was still more than a tick lower than his 2022 seasonal average.
Manoah, 25, amassed a 6.36 ERA (65 ERA+) and a 1.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of his first 13 starts. He had failed to pitch into the fifth inning any of his three most recent appearances, instead allowing 13 runs (12 earned) on 13 hits and nine walks over just 7 ⅓ combined innings.
Manoah, who finished third in American League Cy Young Award balloting last season, was demoted to the minors following a putrid start on June 5 against the Houston Astros that saw him surrender six runs in a third of an inning. He subsequently struggled against rookie-league competition in his first outing following the demotion, though he fared better in a second appearance.
The Blue Jays entered Friday with a 48-40 record on the year, placing them in a tie with the New York Yankees for both third place in the AL East and for the third AL wild card spot.
