Blue Jays manager John Schneider gives Alek Manoah update after starter gets demoted

Few players fall from grace as quickly and hard as Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah has this year. He finished third in the American League Cy Young race in 2022 and seemed poise for a big 2023. Instead, the first two months of his season were notable for all the wrong reasons.

The 25-year-old was a different person on the mound, exercising poor control and repeatedly getting shelled. Manoah was demoted to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Jun. 6th. Fortunately, fans were given an update on the right-hander’s progress, one that sounds encouraging.

“Everything that we were talking about in terms of delivery and stuff was, was good,” manager John Schneider said after Manoah threw a 75-pitch, five-inning simulated game Thursday, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Manoah is likely to throw another sim outing in the coming days. If he continues to progress, a return to Toronto can be expected in no time.

This stint in the minor leagues is designed to not just help him regain his top form but also to get mentally right, too. After such mind-boggling struggles,- 6.36 ERA, 11 home runs allowed and 42 walks in just 13 starts- getting locked-in again is going to be a challenging process.

The Blue Jays have carried on without Alek Manoah and sport a solid 38-32 record. They have depth in the lineup and their rotation, but the All-Star gives them a World Series ceiling when at his best. Whether or not fans see that version of Manoah again in 2023 remains to be seen, but this is a gradual step in the right direction.

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