Braves' Alek Manoah: Claimed off waivers by Atlanta
Rotowire
Atlanta claimed Manoah off waivers from the Blue Jays on Friday and optioned him to its spring training complex.
Manoah was somewhat surprisingly designated for assignment by Toronto earlier this week and Atlanta has decided to roll the dice on the 27-year-old. The righty has been limited to just 10 rehab starts in 2025 after coming back from Tommy John surgery, and he's posted a 3.96 ERA and 35:23 K:BB across 38.2 innings. Manoah hasn't had much success at the big-league level since 2022, when he held a 2.24 ERA over 31 starts. He's under team control through 2027 and will likely compete for a spot in the Atlanta rotation next season.
The Blue Jays designated Manoah for assignment Tuesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
The former Cy Young contender is now without a 40-man roster spot in a move to clear space for the activation of Anthony Santander (shoulder) on Tuesday. Manoah made two starts with Triple-A Buffalo after being reinstated Sept. 11. In the first start Sept. 12, he allowed three earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and a walk across 5.1 innings. In the second start Sept. 18, the 27-year-old did not allow a run on one hit with four strikeouts and five walks across 4.2 innings.
The Blue Jays reinstated Manoah (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
The Blue Jays have five starters that are healthy in their rotation as of Thursday, and Manoah will not be joining them as a sixth man at this time. If he does not rejoin the big-league club in 2025, he should have a path back into the rotation in 2026 with Shane Bieber holding a player option while Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are set to become free agents. Manoah had a 3.09 ERA with a 18:12 K:BB in 23.1 innings across five games for Triple-A Buffalo during his rehab assignment, which is where he is set to continue to pitch. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays designated Orelvis Martinez (undisclosed) for assignment Thursday.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Builds up to 85 pitches
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Manoah (elbow) worked 5.1 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, striking out five and allowing three unearned runs on six hits and two walks.
The 27-year-old right-hander tossed 50 of 85 pitches for strikes, so at least in terms of workload, Manoah appears ready to come off the 60-day injured list. Over three starts for Buffalo, however, his 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings isn't supported by his 1.61 WHIP and 10:7 K:BB. The Blue Jays don't have room in their rotation for Manoah even if he were pitching well, so if he does get activated and added to the big-league roster, he would likely be returning to a low-leverage, long-relief role.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Rehab stint extended
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Toronto has extended Manoah's (elbow) minor-league rehab assignment by an extra 10 days, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah's initial 30-day rehab stint came to a close, but the right-handed hurler isn't yet ready to be activated. The Blue Jays have thus elected to use one of a potential three 10-day extensions available for pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery per the collective bargaining agreement. Manoah has struggled during his rehab assignment to this point, posting a 7.71 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 10:10 K:BB over 11.2 innings spanning five starts, though his most recent performance was his best -- he allowed one run over 4.2 frames with four strikeouts Wednesday with Triple-A Buffalo. Nicholson-Smith indicates that Manoah will throw a side session this weekend and is slated for another start with Buffalo early next week.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Lacks control in latest rehab start
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Manoah (elbow) struck out one batter over 1.2 innings and 49 pitches in his rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Buffalo while allowing three earned runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batsman.
Making his fourth rehab start with his fourth different affiliate, Manoah displayed wayward control, which has been a recurring theme since he kicked off his minor-league assignment July 14. He now holds an 11.57 ERA, 2.71 WHIP and 6:8 K:BB across seven innings through four starts, showing little resemblance to the pitcher who earned an All-Star nod in 2022. Manoah's 30-day rehab window has come to a close, though as Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca notes, the Blue Jays will have the ability to extend his assignment in 10-day increments until his rehab reaches 60 days. The 27-year-old still has two minor-league options remaining, and given the poor form he's displayed thus far on his rehab assignment, he'll likely stay with Buffalo once Toronto formally activates him from the 60-day injured list.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: May not pitch in majors this season
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Manoah (elbow) may not have a spot available on the big-league roster when he's completed his rehab assignment, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Trade-deadline acquisition Shane Bieber (elbow) will beat Manoah back from the IL, and once the former Guardian joins the 26-man roster, the Blue Jays will already have six qualified options for the rotation. Manoah could work as a long reliever, but he has minor-league options remaining, and the organization may prefer to have the 27-year-old right-hander finish out the year in the rotation at Triple-A, and focus on getting ready to challenge for a starting job in Toronto next spring -- Bieber holds a player option for 2026 he's likely to decline, while both Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt will be free agents this winter. In his most recent rehab start Aug. 7, Manoah built up to 64 pitches (36 strikes) for Double-A New Hampshire, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over three innings while striking out two.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Makes start at Double-A
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Manoah allowed two earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two across three innings in a rehab outing with Double-A New Hampshire on Thursday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Manoah has been pitching in a combination of rehab outings and simulated games across the last three weeks. While the numbers aren't overwhelmingly positive with a 10.13 ERA and 5:5 K:BB over 5.1 rehab innings, Thursday's appearance marked Manoah's longest both in terms of outs recorded and pitches thrown (64). It's unclear how many more rehab starts he'll need, but Manoah could be ready for his 2025 MLB debut by the end of August.
Manoah (elbow) completed a 45-pitch, three-inning simulated game Saturday and is scheduled to make his third rehab start later this week with Single-A Dunedin, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
After Manoah made rehab starts with the Blue Jays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate July 14 and with Dunedin on July 20, Toronto opted to have the right-hander pitch in a controlled setting over the weekend. He was able to build up his pitch count during the sim game and flashed a fastball that topped out at around 95 miles per hour, so Manoah seems to be in a good spot as he works his way back from the internal brace procedure he underwent last June. Manoah will throw a bullpen session Tuesday before making his next start with Dunedin, and if all goes well in that outing, he'll shift his rehab assignment to a higher-level affiliate next week. Manoah appears to be tracking toward a return from the 60-day injured list around mid-to-late August, but the Blue Jays may not have a rotation spot available for him once he's activated.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Building up for August
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Manoah (elbow) will pitch a simulated game Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Single-A Dunedin is on the road Saturday, so the Blue Jays are opting for a simulated game in which they can control Manoah's pitch count instead. The right-hander should be ready to return to full capacity by the end of August or early September.
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Sharper in second rehab start
Rotowire
Manoah (elbow) gave up one run on three hits over two innings for Single-A Dunedin on Sunday. He struck out two without walking a batter.
The right-hander tossed 28 pitches (16 strikes) in his second rehab outing as he enters the final stretch of his recovery from an internal brace procedure performed last June. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Manoah will need at least three more rehab starts before the Blue Jays will consider activating him from the 60-day IL, but at the moment there isn't a spot for him in the big-league rotation, and the team may well have added further depth at the trade deadline before he's ready to return.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Second rehab start set
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Manoah (elbow) will make a rehab start Sunday with Single-A Dunedin, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The right-hander surrendered four runs (three earned) while recording just one out during his first rehab outing Monday, and he'll attempt to ramp up his workload this weekend. Manoah will likely need at least a couple additional starts in the minors after Sunday before being considered for activation.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Struggles in first rehab start
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Manoah (elbow) allowed four runs (three earned) on one hit and two walks while recording just one out in his first rehab start in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Monday.
Manoah also hit a batter and was charged with a wild pitch while spotting just 10 of 22 pitches for strikes in the outing. The performance was a discouraging one as the big righty works his way back from internal brace surgery, but Manoah and the Blue Jays aren't necessarily worried about results at this early stage of his rehab assignment. He'll need to complete multiple rehab starts before warranting consideration for a spot in Toronto's rotation by early August.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Beginning assignment Monday
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Manoah (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Monday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah has been on the shelf all year while working his way back from June 2024 Tommy John surgery, and he now seems to be nearing the home stretch of his recovery. The goal is for him to pitch two innings in rookie ball during his return to competition, and the Jays plan to build him up over the course of five or six minor-league starts. Assuming he sticks to a traditional four-day rest period between starts and doesn't suffer any setbacks, he'll likely be cleared to return from the IL in early August.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Set for live BP
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Manoah (elbow) is expected to throw a live BP session Tuesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manoah will throw a two-up live batting practice session, meaning that he'll essentially toss two innings of simulated action. The right-hander has been out for the entirety of the 2025 campaign to this point while recovering from a right elbow procedure he underwent in June 2024. Manoah is expected to require a multi-start minor-league rehab assignment, which could begin as soon as next week.
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