Alek Manoah, a former highly regarded baseball player and a finalist for the Cy Young Award, has been removed from the Toronto Blue Jays roster. Something has happened that caused his performance to decline.
Alek has been facing significant challenges during the current 2023 MLB season, to the extent that the Toronto Blue Jays decided to move him to the Florida Complex League, which is a minor league.
What Happened To Alek Manoah? Why is Alek now playing at a lower level? Keep reading to find out all the information that is currently available.
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What Happened To Alek Manoah?
Alek Manoah’s performance on the field has been struggling. In the 2023 season, he had a high ERA (Earned Run Average) of 6.36 in his first 13 starts, which is considered very poor. In a game against the Houston Astros on June 5, he had a rough start, giving up six runs in the first inning and was taken out of the game after only recording one out.
As a result of his performance, the Toronto Blue Jays made the decision to move him to the Florida Complex League, which is a lower-level minor league in the Minor League Baseball system. This means he will be playing at a rookie-level league instead of being on the main team.
“It’s not a knee-jerk reaction,” manager John Schneider said, per MLB.com. “Like I’ve been saying all along, we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help him get better, and we feel like that’s the proper first, initial step.”
He added, “Alek is a guy who, for as highly as we’ve spoken about him for a long time, we’re confident that when he is himself, he’s still going to be a huge part of what we’re trying to do. In that environment is the right place to start.”
Alek’s Disappointing Start in the Florida Complex League
Alek had his first game in the rookie ball league on June 27, but unfortunately, things didn’t go well for him. He gave up 11 runs on 10 hits, which included two home runs, in just two and two-third innings of play. It’s worth noting that he was facing a lineup of players aged 17 to 19 years old.
Despite Alek’s disappointing performance, the Blue Jays manager, John Schneider, expressed that he believes Alek is making progress and heading in the right direction.
Alek Manoah in his first rookie ball start today against the Florida Complex League Yankees:
Alek Manoah in his first rookie ball start today against the Florida Complex League Yankees:
2.2 IP, 11 ER, 10 H, 2 HR, 3 K, 2 BB pic.twitter.com/ZV3dBVd2n9
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 27, 2023
“Obviously saw the line score but heard the things that we were talking about, in terms of strike-throwing, delivery, tempo, velocity, was all positive,” he said, per the Toronto Sun. “The rest of the stuff, you can take it with a grain of salt. I don’t think one day, one outing, one report will really change [what the Jays think of his rehab assignment]. I think there’s enough track record and confidence and belief in him.”
“You see all-star hitters go down and strike out four times. We’re not expecting him to go throw a perfect game just because it’s the minor leagues,” he continued. “You don’t know what to expect. You’re just hoping the things you are working on are being accomplished, and for the most part, today they were.”
John added, “It’s tough, especially for a pitcher. When you’re at this level. You’re really focused on game plans and execution. When you are throwing to guys you don’t know, you lean on things you are working on.”
The manager said that he and the rest of the Blue Jays staff want the “results to be great,” so he hopes Alek can get “a little bit of momentum” for his next game and show that he deserves to be their starting pitcher again.