The Toronto Blue Jays are aiming high. Alec Manoa (25), the ‘Ryu Hyun-jin wannabe’, signaled a rebound with his neat pitching. And with the real Hyun-jin Ryu (36) on the verge of returning, there’s plenty of hope for a bolstered starting rotation.
Manoa started the game against the Detroit Tigers in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) at Comerica Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Aug. 8 (KST).
Manoa finished third in the American League Cy Young Award last year with a 16-7 record and a 2.24 ERA in 196⅔ innings. He was expected to break out of his prospect shell and become a cog in the team’s starting rotation, but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.메이저사이트
Prior to today, he was 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA in 13 games and 58 innings this year, and he hasn’t had a quality start (six innings or less) in eight starts since April 23 against the New York Yankees.
Manoa was sent down to the training facility for an adjustment period after his poor outings.
Eventually, Toronto pulled out the knife and sent Manoa to the minors for an adjustment period. He spent the next month in the Rookie League and Double-A trying to get his stuff back in shape before returning to the big leagues to start tonight’s game.
The trip to the minors paid off, as Manoa pitched well in his first start in a long time. Although he was shaky, giving up a run in the bottom of the third inning, he was generally clean. His final line was six innings, five hits, no walks, eight strikeouts, and one earned run. He improved to 7-2 on the season in the team’s 10-2 victory. His ERA dropped to 5.91 from 6.36.
Toronto Blue Jays Alec Manoa showed signs of rebounding.
Manoah’s return to form has provided Toronto with a much-needed spark. The team was worried about overloading its pitching staff after Mano was removed from the rotation, but now that he’s slowly returning to form, it’ll give them some breathing room.
In addition, Ryu Hyun-jin is set to return.
According to The Athletic, Ryu will make his second rehab start in Single-A on Tuesday. After getting off to a strong start in his first rehab game (Rookie League) on May 5, throwing 42 pitches against 13 batters, allowing one run on four hits in three innings with five strikeouts and no walks, and reaching a fastball velocity of 88 miles per hour (about 141.6 kilometers per hour), he has been gradually improving his physical condition. If his rehabilitation continues to go smoothly, he is expected to return to the big leagues later this month.
Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Tuesday. If Ryu returns healthy, Toronto’s starting lineup could be even stronger. ⓒSporting News DB
Naturally, Toronto’s goals are getting bigger. With Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassett, Yusei Kikuchi, and Alec Manoa in the rotation, the Jays can add Ryu to their existing starting five.
Toronto is currently in a tight race for a postseason berth. The Jays need to bolster their starting rotation in order to secure the third wild-card spot and beyond, and the return of proven pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is the icing on the cake.
With the addition of Manoa, Toronto is looking more and more complete. And Ryu is on his way back. With everything going according to plan, Toronto’s sights are set high.