While appearing on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio Wednesday morning, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider addressed the latest with pitcher Alek Manoah and why he took so long to report to triple-A Buffalo.
On Monday, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that Manoah is unlikely to pitch again in 2023 at any level.
"[Manoah] took a little bit of time to report. We — meaning us and him — wanted to make sure he was physically in a good spot to ramp back up," Schneider said. "And then when he got there ... I think just the timing of the season isn't gonna be enough for him to get stretched back out."
The 25-year-old last appeared in a game on Aug. 10, allowing four runs in four innings against the Cleveland Guardians. He was then optioned to triple-A, but stayed in Toronto to undergo testing.
Shortly after Manoah did report to Buffalo, he was placed on the temporarily inactive list to free up a roster spot.
“At the current time, he feels like he’s not ready to compete, so we're going to respect that and kind of move on from it,” Schneider said Wednesday. “But we’ve been working through every decision with him together as a group and respecting his requests along the way.”
Coming off a season in which he finished third in American League Cy Young voting, Manoah was unable to replicate his early-career success in 2023.
He made 19 starts for the Blue Jays, pitching to a 5.87 ERA over 87.1 innings of work while walking 59 batters. His August demotion was the second time this season that Manoah was optioned back to the minor leagues after being sent to the Florida Complex League in June.
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