Report: Alek Manoah Refused Triple-A Assignment, Unlikely to Pitch Again This Season

Trouble is brewing between Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays. Manoah never reported to Triple-A when he was optioned on August 11 due to being upset about the decision, per Jeff Blair of SportsNet 590 in Toronto. 

According to Blair’s report, Manoah hasn’t even been throwing bullpens or side sessions. The belief is it’s now unlikely that he’ll pitch in a game again this season. If this is true, this only adds to the horrendous year 2013 has been for for the WVU product.

Blue Jays Send Former Ace Alek Manoah Back Down to Minor Leagues

To fully put this fall from grace into perspective, Manoah put together a season so great he was labeled as one of the best pitchers across baseball in 2022. He then struggled so much in most of his appearances this season that he was sent down twice. 

The most recent demotion was done with hopes Manoah could regain some semblance of the form that led to his past success in time to salvage the season. As the season continued to progress without any sign of Manaoah reemerging, the thinking was that plan was not going well. And now it appears as if that plan never even got going in earnest.

When Manoah was sent all the way down to the Florida Complex League in June, he was carrying a 6.36 ERA through 13 starts. The WVU product and former AL Cy Young candidate did improve after returning the majors, but was still not close to the overpowering pitcher he has been since being drafted in the first round out of West Virginia.

Alek Manoah Gets Back to Form in First Start Back with Blue Jays

Overall throughout his time in MLB this season, Manoah posted a 3-9 record with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP in 87.1 innings pitched.

Just last year, Manoah took his career to another level. In 2022, the 25-year-old carried a 2.24 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP and struck out 180 batters in 196.2 innings pitched. Manoah was named an All-Star and started Toronto’s Wild Card Round game.

WVSN’s Griffin Floyd detailed possible factors that could be contributing to Manoah’s issues in the piece below.

Alek Manoah Shelled in Rookie Ball: Inside the Ace’s Struggles

Our Mike Asti also asked Schneider about Manoah after a game earlier in the season.