The last time Alek Manoah had made a major-league start, we were all still talking about the “Barbie” movie.
Manoah made his first start for the Toronto Blue Jays since Aug. 10, pitching four innings in Sunday’s 11-8 loss to the Washington Nationals. It’s Toronto’s fourth consecutive series loss, and the Blue Jays have now lost nine of their past 13 games, a downward spiral sinking them further down the American League East standings.
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Manoah entered the outing aiming to rebound from his nightmarish 2023, when he was twice demoted to the minors and pitched to a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts. His comeback was delayed by right shoulder inflammation that sidelined him to start the season. He had mixed results over his five rehab outings, but with Yariel Rodríguez injured, there was an opening in the rotation.
Here are some takeaways from Manoah’s 2024 season debut.
Costly damage
Through three innings, Manoah looked like he was putting together a respectable enough start. But the Nationals got to the right-hander in the fourth inning, scoring five runs that turned a 6-2 Toronto lead into a 7-6 deficit. Manoah allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits, including two home runs, with four walks and six strikeouts over four innings.
After getting two outs in the fourth, Manoah allowed back-to-back singles to Luis García Jr. and Nick Senzel, but the big blow came when left fielder Jesse Winker hit a three-run home run off a hanging slider.
On occasion, Manoah threw his slider with the desired downward movement, including this one to Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, which generated an awkward swing.
Alek Manoah, Vicious 83mph Slider…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/XNxkXUuThQ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 5, 2024
But, as the graph below shows, Manoah left his slider up in the zone too often. That’s dangerous, and he was punished for it twice. Both home runs he allowed — including Garcia’s solo shot in the third and Winker’s momentum-shifting swing in the fourth — came off sliders.
Struggles to get under control
Command and control continue to be a work in progress for Manoah. The 26-year-old walked four in the outing, including back-to-back batters in the first inning that drove in the Nationals’ first run. (It should be noted that Manoah could have been out of the inning earlier, if not for a first-batter error by Bo Bichette.)
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Manoah was missing his spots high and wide, and largely losing the zone too often. It’s an issue that dates to last season when Manoah’s 6.08 walks per nine innings were the second-highest among all pitchers with at least 80 innings.
Beyond the walks, Manoah was also falling behind in counts, throwing first-pitch strikes to only 11 of the 24 batters he faced. He found himself in too many deep counts, and even if he had avoided some of the big blows in the third and fourth innings, the Blue Jays were hoping for a more efficient effort than 92 pitches with 52 strikes over four innings.
Looking for positive signs
The result wasn’t what Manoah or the Blue Jays would have wanted, but there were positive signs.
After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put Toronto ahead 5-1 with a grand slam in the top of the second, the bottom of the frame looked like vintage Manoah. He retired the side via a groundout and two strikeouts and got the scoreless frame the Blue Jays needed after they put up a five-spot.
In total, Manoah struck out six batters and generated eight swinging strikes, four on his slider. His velocity was up from last season when it dropped to career lows. Sunday, his sinker averaged 94.3 mph, topping out at 96.5 mph, his four-seamer averaged 94.2 mph, topping out at 95.8 mph, and his slider was sitting at 81.8 mph, topping out at 83.4 mph.
Next steps
Where do the Blue Jays go from here with Manoah?
Rodríguez (thoracic spine inflammation) is not eligible to come off the 15-day IL until May 15, so the Blue Jays still need to fill at least one more start. (It could be more depending on the timeline for Rodríguez’s recovery.) There will be an opportunity for Manoah to make another start, and based on comments Blue Jays manager John Schneider gave to reporters in Washington, Manoah will get it.
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Schneider told reporters Manoah will remain in the rotation and a decision on his future wouldn’t be made following one start. Given Manoah’s track record, including leading the club in innings pitched in 2022, it was unlikely the Blue Jays were going to be one-and-done with him.
With two off days this week — Monday and Thursday — the Blue Jays could have skipped Manoah’s next scheduled start, but it doesn’t appear they want to disrupt the rest of their rotation, which has been on a roll. If the Blue Jays stay on turn with their five starters, Manoah’s next start would come Sunday against the Minnesota Twins at the Rogers Centre.
What can Manoah build upon? He wiggled out of a first-inning jam and cruised through a seamless second inning until it all started to unravel in the third and fourth innings. The six strikeouts were a silver lining, too. Schneider also told reporters that he liked how Manoah looked stuff-wise, but his control continues to be a significant issue, dating back to last season. At least with this week’s two off days, the Blue Jays and Manoah will have extra time to try to work on issues before his next start.
The Blue Jays have numerous problems — a stagnant offence, a struggling bullpen, a daunting schedule — but trying to get Manoah right remains a priority.
(Photo of Alek Manoah: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)
