Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has received multiple injections in his pitching arm in recent weeks and been shut down for the season, an online report said Thursday. Manoah pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Sue Ogrocki
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has received multiple injections in his pitching arm in recent weeks and been shut down for the season, an online report said Thursday.
Manoah, who was the team’s Opening Day starter but struggled for most of the year, hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 10. He was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo the next day.
In a sourced story on Sportsnet, the website reported Manoah has seen several specialists in the last month and is continuing to meet with doctors “with a view toward ruling out elbow and shoulder issues as well as thoracic outlet syndrome.”
The injections were intended to reduce inflammation and discomfort, the report said.
A message left with Manoah’s agent was not immediately returned. The club confirmed the Sportsnet report was accurate.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was scheduled to hold a pre-game media availability later Thursday in New York before an evening game against the Yankees.
After his demotion to the Bisons, Manoah did not immediately report to the team. The six-foot-six 285-pound starter instead underwent medical tests, something that general manager Ross Atkins said was a mutual decision between the team and Manoah.
Atkins, who spoke at a media availability on Aug. 25 in Toronto, said Manoah hasn’t been dealing with any injuries and that the testing “was just to be thorough.”
Manoah eventually reported to Buffalo but was placed on the team’s temporarily inactive list in early September to open a roster spot.
Manoah was an American League Cy Young Award finalist last year. He had a 3-9 record and 5.87 earned-run average over 19 starts with the Blue Jays this season.
After pitching poorly early in the year, the Blue Jays optioned him to the rookie-level Florida Complex League in June. He was recalled by the team about a month later.
Over 70 career starts with Toronto, Manoah is 28-18 with a 3.32 ERA.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2023.
