Schneider encouraged by reports on Manoah; no timeline yet

TORONTO — There's no firm date for pitcher Alek Manoah's return to the Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation.

Manoah was demoted to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on June 6 after a poor start to the regular season. He has been making progress at the team's training facility in Dunedin, Fla., but won't return until he's ready, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday afternoon.

"There's no date," Schneider told reporters when asked for an update on Manoah. "I think watching and seeing how he responds, how he does all those things with the strike throwing, with the delivery, with the pitches per inning. There's no real timeframe.

"Again, the whole thing is to do what's best for him. Whenever that time is, is when it will be."

The 25-year-old right-hander was sent down after going 1-7 with a 6.36 earned-run average over 13 starts. Schneider said Manoah has been asked to focus on his delivery and throwing strikes.

"Everything video-wise and report-wise has been really trending in the right direction," said Schneider. "But those are the two main things, just getting back to where he was."

Manoah was Toronto's first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft. He was selected 11th overall out of West Virginia.

After going 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA over 20 starts as a rookie in 2021, the six-foot-six hurler went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts last year. He finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting.

In his last start for the Blue Jays on June 5, Manoah lasted one-third of an inning against the Houston Astros. He was booed by home fans after allowing six runs and seven hits.

Manoah pitched five innings in a simulated game on Wednesday.

"It was 74 pitches, (velocity) was where it should be, up to 94 m.p.h.," said Schneider. "It was over 70 per cent strikes. Delivery looked pretty good. A lot of positive feedback."

Schneider said that Manoah is scheduled to have another official bullpen session and get at least one minor-league start, likely in one of the two Florida leagues, before returning to the Blue Jays rotation.

Given those requirements and with the fifth spot in Toronto's rotation only coming up once before the all-star break on July 11, it's unlikely that Manoah will return before the midsummer classic.

"It really will depend on how he's doing," said Schneider. "We told him from the get-go, we'll know when you're ready. You'll tell us when you're ready.

"It's not like anyone has circled a date on the calendar."