Toronto Blue Jays send struggling right-hander Alek Manoah down to minors
Four baseball gloves rested on the top shelf of Alek Manoah's clubhouse locker at Rogers Centre on Tuesday afternoon, his garments on a rack below with his black chair in its usual position nearby.
The only things missing were the baby blue jersey and matching ballcap that were hanging at each of his teammates' stalls ahead of Toronto's night game against Houston.
The Blue Jays sent Manoah down to the minor leagues earlier in the day. It was unclear when he'll be back.
The right-hander was optioned to the rookie-level Florida Complex League after another poor start a night earlier.
"It's not a knee-jerk reaction," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "Like I've been saying all along, we want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to help him get better.
"We feel like that's the proper, first initial step."
Manoah's latest start was the shortest outing of his young career. He was shelled for six earned runs over one-third of an inning in an 11-4 loss to the Astros.
The six-foot-six 285-pounder hasn't won a game in over two months and his confidence appears shot. The Blue Jays have lost nine of the last 10 games that Manoah has started.
Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker gave him the news early Tuesday afternoon.
"It wasn't an easy conversation," Schneider said. "He understands that the performance hasn't really been there and he just really wants to help the team be in a position to win.
"So he took it about as good as he can take it."
This is new territory for the Opening Day starter, an American League Cy Young Award finalist last year but just 1-7 with an eyebrow-raising earned-run average of 6.36 this season.
The all-star form he displayed in 2022 has been replaced by inconsistency and a lack of control. Manoah leads the major leagues with 42 walks over his 13 starts.
The thinking was that Manoah would be best served by working with team staff at the player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., Schneider said.
He'll spend time in the pitching lab there and use the facility's many resources.
"It's tough when you're telling a guy who's had so much success that that's where we landed," Schneider said. "He's a big part of our team and I think that we have to really just get him right."
Almost two dozen media members packed Schneider's office for his pre-game media availability, which came about a half-hour after the Blue Jays announced the move.
The MLB Network was muted on the two television monitors in the room. Panellists were discussing the Manoah demotion as the Toronto skipper took questions.
"I fully expect him to tackle this head-on like he does everything else," Schneider said.
Now 25, Manoah was drafted 11th overall in 2019. After 35 innings at the minor-league level, he made the jump to the big leagues in 2021 and excelled.
Manoah finished eighth in rookie of the year voting after posting a 9-2 record and 3.22 ERA over 20 starts.
He blossomed into an all-star the following year and became an anchor in the Toronto rotation. He went 16-7 with a sparkling 2.24 ERA last season and finished third in Cy Young voting.
Considered the staff ace at the start of this season, Manoah earned his lone win on April 5 against the Kansas City Royals.
Things started to unravel at the end of that month. Manoah hasn't made it past the sixth inning in any of his starts over the last six weeks.
The West Virginia University product has looked lost on the mound, sapped of the swagger that he displayed in his first two big-league seasons.
He was booed by home fans after his latest appearance and Schneider was cheered when he came out of the dugout to replace him.
Manoah will get a chance to reset in Florida and work on his mindset and delivery.
"We're confident that when he is himself, he's still going to be a huge part of what we're trying to do," Schneider said. "So I think that environment is the right place to start."
The Blue Jays made a number of moves before Tuesday night's game against the Astros.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt was reinstated from the paternity list and infielder Santiago Espinal (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list.
Right-hander Bowden Francis was selected to the major-league roster and infielder Ernie Clement and right-hander Jay Jackson were optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
Third baseman Matt Chapman was not in the starting lineup. He's considered day to day after having an infected ingrown toenail removed late Monday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.