Blue Jays, Manoah targeting rehab start Sunday
Published
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah is likely to make a rehab start for Single-A Dunedin on Sunday, manager John Schneider told reporters Wednesday.
Manoah threw a three-inning simulated game Tuesday and Schneider said he came out of it well, throwing 48 pitches and striking out six.
The 26-year-old appeared in one spring training game before going down with right shoulder soreness. He was placed on the injured list to begin the season with Bowden Francis taking the final spot in the Blue Jays' starting rotation.
Manoah is looking to bounce back from a nightmare 2023 season that saw him pitch to a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts and spend most of the second half of the season in the minor leagues. He allowed four earned runs in 1.2 innings in his only start this spring.
The season before, Manoah was 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA, finishing third in American League Cy Young voting.
The Blue Jays are off Thursday after scoring a total of two runs in their three-game series in Houston. They will take on the Yankees in their home opener Friday afternoon with Yusei Kikuchi heading to the mound against former Jay Marcus Stroman.