The Toronto Blue Jays have designated starting pitcher Alek Manoah for assignment, ending his seven-year tenure with the organization.
The 27-year-old did not appear in the majors this season, and missed the majority of the campaign while recovering from elbow surgery in June of 2024.
When Manoah was healthy enough to return to the mound, he made appearances in the minor leagues for the Blue Jays, but was never called up to the major league roster.
This ends a tumultuous tenure with Toronto for the Homestead, Flor. native, who was brilliant in his debut with the team.
Manoah finished eighth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, where he pitched to a 3.22 earned-run average over 111.2 innings.
The following year was far better, where Manoah held a 2.24 ERA over 31 starts with 186 strikeouts over 196.2 innings pitched. He finished third in the AL Cy Young voting that year.
That’s where the success ended for the burly 6-foot-6 righty, as he struggled in his following campaign with a 5.87 ERA over 19 starts before being demoted to the minor leagues.
In 2024, Manoah made five starts before his season came to an end with an elbow injury that required surgery to correct.
Santander reinstated from IL
In a move that has the potential to shape the playoff roster, the Blue Jays reinstated slugger Anthony Santander from the 60-day IL and moved first baseman Ty France to the 10-day IL with left oblique inflammation.
Santander, 30, was the big offseason acquisition for the Blue Jays, as he agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract to join Toronto.
He struggled mightily in his 50 games before being placed on the IL with a shoulder injury though, hitting .179 with six home runs in his first season in Toronto. The former Baltimore Orioles outfielder launched 44 home runs en route to winning an AL Silver Slugger award a year ago.
With six games remaining on the schedule, the Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday as they work to clinch their first AL East division title since 2015, and only second since the 1993 season. The Blue Jays own a two-game lead on the New York Yankees entering play on Tuesday.
