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The impact of Alek Manoah's recent setback on the Blue Jays' pitching depth
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    The impact of Alek Manoah’s recent setback on the Blue Jays’ pitching depth

    TORONTO — The long and winding road for Alek Manoah now contains another roadblock with Friday’s news that he has a sprain in his right UCL ligament. The Toronto Blue Jays placed the right-hander on the 15-day injured list and the severity of his elbow issue won’t be clear until Manoah visits specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Texas next Thursday. 

    “I’m not a medical doctor but I think when you look at other cases around the league, yeah, he’s going to miss some time,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider prior to Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Rogers Centre. 

    “Exactly how much [time], not sure. I think just getting in-person with a renowned doctor will shed a little bit more light on that and kind of go from there.”

    Manoah previously visited Meister, an orthopedic surgeon who’s the Texas Rangers’ team physician, last year to gain a better understanding of his arm. 

    The right-hander underwent an MRI on Thursday, one day after leaving in the second inning of his start against the Chicago White Sox. Schneider said Manoah had been receiving treatment on his elbow this week because it felt “a little cranky” following his May 24 start in Detroit. 

    Manoah tried to pitch through it on Wednesday but felt something on his 24th pitch of the game.

    “Yeah, it sucks,” Manoah told reporters after the outing. “But I have my faith in God and I dealt with a lot of [expletive] this past year to get back to this point. And the game’s tough, you know?”

    This is the latest hurdle for Manoah in what’s been a tumultuous stretch since the beginning of the 2023 campaign. The right-hander struggled mightily last season to the tune of a 5.87 ERA over 87.1 innings and didn’t make a start in the majors after Aug. 10. 

    He endured a shoulder issue in spring training that delayed his start to this season, however, following several rehab appearances, Manoah finally began to look like himself in back-to-back dominant seven-inning outings against the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays earlier this month. Overall, the 26-year-old owns a 3.70 ERA across five starts and 24.1 innings in 2024, walking eight and striking out 26. 

    “He’s alright — he’s got strong faith and he’s been through a lot in the last year,” said Schneider when asked how Manoah was dealing with his latest bout of adversity. “He’s met everything head-on in the last year, and that’s kind of where he’s at right now. … It sucks, but I think he’s dealing with it about as good as you can.”

    The injury also shines a light on the lack of starting pitching depth within the organization. Manoah’s next turn in the rotation is set for Tuesday against Baltimore and the Blue Jays will need a replacement. 

    Bowden Francis, on the injured list with a right forearm issue, has been rehabbing with the triple-A Bisons and could be an option, while fellow right-hander Yariel Rodriguez — who’ll start for Buffalo on Friday as he recovers from a back injury — could also be in the mix, said Schneider.

    Reliever Trevor Richards has filled in as a spot starter and covered bulk innings over the past two seasons for the Blue Jays, but Schneider said the preference would be to keep Richards in his regular relief role.

    “Off the top of my head, I think the lean is to go with someone like Bowden or Yariel and kind of keep Trev in that role,” said the manager. “And if we have to get creative with a couple other guys, we will. But, yeah, I think Trev going in and getting stretched out a little bit [3.1 innings on Wednesday] in Chicago was good. And if we have to utilize him a little bit more like that, we will. But we’d like a little bit of regularity going forward.” 

    Ricky Tiedemann, the organization’s top prospect, is not an immediate option but could figure into plans as the season unfolds. The left-hander, who’s been sidelined with ulnar nerve inflammation, threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice at the club’s player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., on Friday and could soon pitch in a rehab outing either in the Complex League or Florida State League, according to Schneider.

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    The Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching depth took a hit recently with the news that top prospect Alek Manoah has suffered a setback in his development. Manoah, who was expected to make a significant impact on the team’s rotation this season, has been dealing with a minor injury that has delayed his progress.

    Manoah, the 11th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, has been impressive in his brief time in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old right-hander possesses a powerful fastball and a devastating slider, making him a promising prospect for the Blue Jays.

    With Manoah sidelined, the Blue Jays will have to rely on their other pitching options to fill the void. While the team still has a solid rotation with the likes of Hyun Jin Ryu, Robbie Ray, and Steven Matz, losing Manoah’s potential impact is certainly a blow to their depth.

    The setback also raises questions about the team’s overall pitching depth moving forward. Injuries are always a concern in baseball, and having a strong stable of pitchers is crucial for a team’s success over the course of a long season.

    The Blue Jays will need to monitor Manoah’s recovery closely and ensure that he is fully healthy before rushing him back to the mound. It’s important for the team to prioritize his long-term development and not risk further injury by rushing him back too soon.

    In the meantime, the Blue Jays will need to lean on their other pitchers to step up and fill the void left by Manoah’s absence. This could provide an opportunity for other young arms in the organization to showcase their talents and prove that they are capable of contributing at the major league level.

    Overall, while losing Manoah to injury is certainly a setback for the Blue Jays, it also presents an opportunity for other pitchers to step up and prove themselves. The team will need to rely on their depth and resilience to overcome this challenge and continue their pursuit of a playoff berth in the highly competitive AL East.