Angels' Alek Manoah: Expected to follow opener Monday
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Manoah will follow an opener and operate as the Angels' bulk pitcher Monday against the Guardians, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
After returning from a stint on the injured list Wednesday, the right-hander made his Angels debut out of the bullpen Friday against the Blue Jays, recording a strikeout while throwing seven of his 11 total pitches for strikes. Following the recent demotion of Sam Aldegheri to Triple-A Salt Lake, the Angels have an opening in the rotation and will call upon Manoah to serve as their primary pitcher Monday. If Manoah fares well in what will likely be a multi-inning appearance, he could be called upon again to either make a start or work in bulk relief during next weekend's series versus the Dodgers, though Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) is nearing a return from the injured list and might also be a candidate to step into the rotation when a fifth starter is next needed.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Logs first MLB outing since 2024
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Manoah tossed a perfect inning, striking out one batter in relief versus Toronto on Friday.
Manoah began his career with Toronto and remained with the organization until September of last year. The right-hander didn't make it to the majors in 2025, as all of his pitching came in the minors while he worked his way back from an internal brace procedure on his right elbow that he underwent in June of 2024. Manoah was signed by the Angels this past December but lost a fingernail on his pitching hand in mid-March and began the season on the IL. He finally made his Angels debut Friday and looked good, throwing seven of 11 pitches for strikes without allowing any baserunners in an uneventful eighth inning. It was Manoah's first career regular-season MLB relief appearance after he worked as a starter in all 75 of his previous outings. It's not yet clear if the Angels plan to keep him in the bullpen or if he'll get a chance to enter the rotation at some point.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Returns from IL
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The Angels activated Manoah (finger) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Manoah has been out all season after losing a fingernail during his final Cactus League outing. The right-hander struggled in his lone rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, yielding six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 frames. Manoah is listed as an available reliever on the lineup card for Wednesday's game versus the White Sox, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register, so the Angels seemingly plan to utilize him in the bullpen. The Angels will have an opening in the rotation during next week's series in Cleveland, so it's possible that Manoah receives a look as a starter or bulk reliever if he isn't needed out of the bullpen during the team's next four games.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Struggles in rehab outing
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Manoah (finger) tossed 4.1 innings in a rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out two batters.
Saturday marked Manoah's first game action since he lost a fingernail following a Cactus League start March 17. The right-hander had a rough spring prior to the injury and didn't fare any better in his initial rehab outing, so he'll likely need to show improvement in order to eventually claim a spot in the big-league rotation. Manoah tossed 87 pitches in Saturday's start, so from a workload standpoint he seems pretty close to being fully ramped up.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Getting close to rehab stint
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Manoah (finger) tossed four simulated innings to hitters Tuesday and is nearing a minor-league rehab assignment, per MLB.com.
Manoah's right middle fingernail fell off after a spring start in mid-March, and he began throwing bullpens in early April. He's since progressed to facing hitters and could kick off a rehab stint within the next week. Manoah struggled mightily during the Cactus League slate, so he may need to pitch well during his rehab assignment to get a chance to start with the big-league club in the near future.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Dealing with fingernail issue
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Manoah has recently been managing a fingernail issue, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander's pursuit of a rotation spot this spring has been anything but smooth, as he's posted a 9.39 ERA, 2.41 WHIP and 13:14 K:BB across 15.1 innings, and he's now contending with a finger issue. Even with those struggles, Manoah could still begin the season in the starting rotation with George Klassen reassigned to minor-league camp Friday while Grayson Rodriguez (arm) is banged up.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Rotation slot may be in jeopardy
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Manoah may not be a lock for the Angels' Opening Day rotation, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, after the veteran hurler allowed four runs on eights hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings in a Cactus League start against the White Sox on Wednesday.
Manoah signed with the Angels on a one-year, $1.95 million contract in early December, and he still has minor-league options remaining, so it's far from certain he'll break camp with the big club. Manager Kurt Suzuki said early in camp that Manoah would have to earn his spot in the rotation, and the hurler made a strong case early, beginning the spring slate with five scoreless frames despite an ominous 1:3 K:BB. Things haven't gone well for Manoah since, as he's yielded nine runs and posted a 7:7 K:BB across 6.1 frames over his past two outings. Suzuki said following Wednesday's game that Manoah is "still definitely in the mix" for the team's fifth rotation spot, but how he fares in his final starts this spring could go a long way to determining whether he makes the cut. Should Manoah begin the campaign in the minors or the bullpen, George Klassen and Jack Kochanowicz are candidates to step into the rotation.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Flashes uptick in velocity
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Manoah walked two batters and didn't allow a run over two innings during Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks. He didn't factor into the decision.
Manoah looked solid in his first start this spring and managed to work around a pair of walks by inducing two double plays. The right-hander's fastball was clocked at 93-to-94 mph in the first inning, which is a substantial uptick after he was sitting between 89 and 92 mph last September in the minor leagues, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Manoah's velocity dipped a bit in the second inning, as his fastball sat around 91-92, but it was still a successful spring debut for the 28-year-old, who will need to impress in camp to earn a spot in the Angels' rotation.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Needs to work for rotation spot
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Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Tuesday that Manoah will have to earn his place in the starting rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The 26-year-old joined the Halos on a one-year, $1.95 million contract in December, but he was never likely to have much in the form of guaranteed playing time after spending most of 2025 rehabbing from UCL surgery. Manoah should still be the favorite to win a job at the back end of Anaheim's rotation, given the club's other starting options.
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Angels' Alek Manoah: Lands in Anaheim
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Manoah signed a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Angels on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Manoah missed the majority of the 2025 season while working his way back from an elbow procedure he underwent in June 2024. Once healthy, the 27-year-old righty remained with the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, where he turned in a 2.97 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 33.1 innings over seven starts. Now with the Halos, he'll have a much greater chance of returning to the majors in 2026, as the Angels' rotation finished last in the American League with a 4.91 ERA this past season.
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Alek Manoah: Let go by Atlanta
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Manoah was non-tendered by Atlanta on Friday.
Manoah ended the 2025 campaign as a member of Atlanta's organization after being designated for assignment by Toronto in late September. He spent the majority of this past season recovering from UCL surgery on his right elbow that he underwent in June of 2024, and he was cleared to make his first rehab start in July. Manoah was reinstated from the 60-day injured list prior to being let go by the Blue Jays, so if he does catch on with a team for 2026, he'll have an opportunity to make his case for a spot on an Opening Day roster during spring training.
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Braves' Alek Manoah: Claimed off waivers by Atlanta
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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.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Stuck in Triple-A
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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: 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: 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.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Builds up to 45 pitches
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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.
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Sharper in second rehab start
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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.
