Getty Image / Thomas Skrlj
Alek Manoah had one of, if not, the worst starts for a pitcher this season.
It was so bad, the Toronto Blue Jays sent him down to the lowest level of the minors.
Before being sent down, the former Cy Young finalist held a 1-7 record, with 48 strikeouts, 6.36 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and just two quality starts through 58 innings played.
Not great. So, it made sense why the Blue Jays wanted Alek Manoah to figure it out at a lower level.
Manoah had two starts in the minor leagues. In his first, he got lit up by rookies, but he showed vast improvement after playing at the Double-A level.
Many speculated the star pitcher would be in the minor leagues for quite some time until he regained himself. However, it sounds like Toronto is ready to call him up again, per Shi Davidi.
Alek Manoah will start for the Blue Jays on Friday as his team takes on the Detroit Tigers.
Alek Manoah will start Friday for the Blue Jays, per @ShiDavidi pic.twitter.com/fuzbhi51IA
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 4, 2023
The good news is, the Tigers are one of the worst hitting teams in baseball right now. So, the Blue Jays are slowly working Alek Manoah back into the rotation.
On the other hand, based on his production at the minor league level, many fans fear Toronto may be rushing Manoah back into the mix. Either way, baseball fans have mixed feelings bout the Blue Jays’ decision.
He’ll either throw a masterpiece or one of the worst pitching performances we’ve ever seen.
— Christian Howard (@ChristianH3742) July 4, 2023
Do you think the Tigers are looking forward to Friday’s game?
Detroit rn pic.twitter.com/oujojTsmGY
— me (@irvin_E7) July 5, 2023
Some fans just want to see Manoah succeed.
Hope he does well. Hate seeing guys' confidence get destroyed like this
— Aaron Derrick (@Ad51603) July 4, 2023
It does feel like it was a quick turnaround.
Bruh, I thought they were taking their time to correct him lol this seems a bit rushed tbh
— SOX ARE EMBARRASSING (@TheRealSeanMo96) July 5, 2023
The math ain’t mathing.
Gives up 12 earned in just over 7 total innings in two starts.
Blue Jays' staff: pic.twitter.com/dFVjICBB4E
— Baseball and Chain Podcast (@baseballchain) July 5, 2023
There is no in between.
Perfect Game or he gets shelled
— 🇺🇸Juggerbear⚜️ (@Juggerbear95) July 4, 2023
For Alek Manoah’s sake, let’s hope he goes out there and plays a good game for the Blue Jays.
If he doesn’t, then things could get ugly in Toronto quickly.
The Blue Jays take on the Tigers on Friday, July 7. Make sure to tune in to see if Manoah is back in form.