15 articles
LAA • Pitcher
about 19 hours ago
The deal is now official. The Angels are rolling the metaphorical dice on the former Cy Young Award contender after he was non-tendered last month by the Braves. The 27-year-old’s fastball velocity and control never rebounded in 10 minor-league starts during his return from Tommy John surgery this past season and the Blue Jays ultimately cut ties with him on the eve of the postseason. It’s difficult to envision a realistic path back to fantasy relevance in Los Angeles, but he’ll likely open the year in their rotation and qualifies as a low-risk lottery ticket. Maybe the velocity never comes back. Maybe the command never stabilizes. Maybe the Angels are just the latest team hoping the laws of baseball physics bend for one more improbable resurrection.
ATL • Pitcher
2 months ago
We doubt the Braves were the only team looking to take a chance on Manoah, but they had the best waiver priority of those that put in claims. The 27-year-old Manoah, who finished third in the AL Cy Young balloting in 2022, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and since his velocity hasn’t bounced back as hoped, the Jays thought they were OK moving on from him. Manoah, though, probably won’t make more than $2.5 million next season, he has an option year remaining and he’s under control for 2027. It’s entirely possible that he’ll never reemerge as a useful starter, but that’s quite a bit of upside for not much money. The Braves probably won’t add him to the major league roster this weekend.
TOR • Pitcher
2 months ago
It’s been a stunning few years for Manoah since finishing third in AL Cy Young Award balloting back in 2022. The 27-year-old former ace seemingly wasn’t going to be part of Toronto’s postseason plans after making it back all the way from last year’s Tommy John surgery so the club has decided to jettison him to create space for Anthony Santander to return from the injured list. He figures to pass through waivers unclaimed given his recent career turbulence, but it wouldn’t be surprising if another organization was willing to bring him in to take a look under the hood as a reclamation project.
TOR • Pitcher
3 months ago
The 27-year-old hurler has been pitching at Triple-A Buffalo already on the final leg of his minor league rehab assignment in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. There’s simply no room for him in the big league rotation at the moment. Manoah has compiled a 4.40 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 23/17 K/BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings through his eight minor league rehab starts. He’ll continue to refine his craft there for the time being, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get at least one start for the Jays before the regular season concludes.
TOR • Pitcher
3 months ago
The run came on a 443-foor homer from Spencer Jones. Manoah averaged 91.4 mph with his sinker, which is down two mph from where he was at the beginning of last season before requiring Tommy John surgery. The Jays are stretching him out for now, but it seems unlikely that he’ll be a factor as a starting pitcher in September.
TOR • Pitcher
4 months ago
Manoah walked three and struck out one, while throwing 27 of his 49 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old sat just 91 mph on his four-seam fastball and wound up only throwing eight of them, which may suggest that he knew the pitch wasn’t there for him. With Shane Bieber (elbow) also returning from Tommy John surgery, the Blue Jays don’t need to rush Manoah back. The goal for him is to get through the end of this season healthy.
TOR • Pitcher
4 months ago
Manoah walked three and struck out two batters on the day, throwing 36 of his 64 total pitches for strikes. The important thing is that he made it through the start healthy and feeling good, the results will become more consistent the further that he gets out from surgery. Expect him to work at least four innings in his next rehab start as he continues to get stretched out.
Source: Mitch Bannon
TOR • Pitcher
4 months ago
The next outing for the 27-year-old hurler will be a minor league rehab start, likely at Triple-A Buffalo. He’s on track to join the Blue Jays’ rotation before the end of August barring any setbacks along the way.
Source: Mitch Bannon
TOR • Pitcher
4 months ago
The Blue Jays wanted to keep Manoah on a regular schedule, so they opted to use a simulated game for him instead of a rehab game at an affiliate. He will return to Low-A Dunedin for one more start before likely advancing his rehab to another level of the organization.
Source: Keegan Matheson
TOR • Pitcher
5 months ago
Manoah’s fastball was consistently in the 93-mph range during his first rehab outing as he continues to work his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He finished with two strikeouts and threw 28 pitches (16 strikes). The 27-year-old righty remains a couple weeks off from being an option for Toronto’s rotation mix, but this outing certainly qualifies as an encouraging sign.
Source: MiLB.com
TOR • Pitcher
5 months ago
The 27-year-old right-hander continues to progress nicely in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He threw 22 pitches his last time out in a Florida Complex League on Monday, so expect him to extend that a bit further during Sunday’s outing. He could be an option to join the Jays’ rotation at some point in August barring any setbacks.
Source: Shi Davidi
TOR • Pitcher
5 months ago
It’s been 392 days since Manoah last appeared on a mound in a professional setting, so this is a big step forward for him. The 27-year-old averaged 94.2 mph on his four-seam fastball while also mixing in changeups, sliders, and sinkers. He threw only 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes, so there remains plenty of rust to work off, and his return will be a lengthy one, but it’s nice to see him on the mound again. He’s setting himself up to be a rotation option for the Blue Jays in 2026 during his age-28 season.
Source: Thomas Hall
TOR • Pitcher
5 months ago
Manoah had thrown a live batting practice session last Tuesday, but he will now simulate a game situation by doing up-downs, which means he will rest as if his own team were hitting. This will help see how his arm recovers from the stop-and-start of a typical game. If this goes well, Manoah could begin a rehab assignment and have the chance to return to Toronto in August.
Source: MLB.com
TOR • Pitcher
5 months ago
Manoah continues to work his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and figures to be close to kicking off a rehab assignment at some point in July. There’s a decent chance he’s an option for Toronto’s rotation at some point in the final two months of the season.
Source: Arden Zwelling
TOR • Pitcher
6 months ago
Manoah has been throwing bullpens regularly as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. He would likely need a few live batting practice sessions before beginning a lengthy rehab assignment, so he likely wouldn’t become an option for the Blue Jays until August. However, it would be great to see the 27-year-old healthy and back on the mound soon.
Source: Shi Davidi