Toronto Blue Jays demote ace Alek Manoah to minors after disastrous two months
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah finished third in Cy Young voting last season. Seven months later, the Blue Jays are sending the ace down to the Florida Complex League in the Minors after giving up six runs in less than one inning on Monday.Manoah has a 1-7 record and 6.36 ERA on the season while allowing 45 runs (41 earned) in 58 innings. He went 16-7 in 23 starts last season with a 2.24 ERA while giving up 55 total runs (49 earned) – good enough for his first MLB All-Star appearance.
It's been completely different during his third season in the majors, where he ranks among the worst statistical pitchers. Through Monday's games, Manoah led the majors in walks, issuing 42 in 13 starts compared with 51 all of last year. And his struggles have prompted the Blue Jays to send Manoah down to The Florida Complex League – formerly the Gulf Coast League and regarded as one of the lowest levels of minor league baseball.
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Manoah's rocky season began with an opening day start where he gave up five earned runs in 3⅓ innings. He had a solid April with a 3.83 ERA in five starts but endured a nightmarish May, never making it out of the fifth inning in each of his six starts. His May performances carried into June where it took only one start for the Blue Jays to send him down to the minors.
Discussions about Manoah's situation gained steam after his recent start against the Houston Astros. He retired just one of the nine batters he faced and was removed from the game without completing an inning. Manoah walked to the dugout amid boos from fans in Toronto after giving up six runs.
After the game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated that "everything is on the table" regarding Manoah and couldn't confirm when he would make his next scheduled start. For now, his next start will be in the minors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blue Jays demote pitcher Alek Manoah to minors as rough 2023 continues