Major League Baseball (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays ace Alec Manoa has been demoted to the rookie level following his continued struggles.
The Toronto organization announced on Sunday that it has designated Manoa for assignment to the Florida Complex League (FCL) Blue Jays at the rookie level.
Manoa, who finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting last year, began the season as the No. 1 starter but has struggled.
In 13 appearances, he has a disappointing 1-7 record with a 6.36 ERA. His pitching numbers are even more disastrous. In 58 innings, he’s allowed 42 walks, and his walks per inning allowed (WHIP) has reached 1.90.
He’s lost six of his last seven games since May, and his ERA is a whopping 8.10 (28 runs, 24 earned, in 26⅔ innings). Most notably, he was blown out for six runs on June 6 against the Houston Astros while recording just one out.
As a result, Toronto decided to take the drastic step of demoting Manoa to the minors.
Notably, the demotion was to the Rookie League, not Triple-A. Manoa will likely focus on rebuilding his mechanics at the team’s training facility in Dunedin, Florida, rather than on the field.스포츠토토
For now, Manoa’s return is undetermined. “When he’s ready, we’ll bring him up to the majors,” manager John Schneider said, “but we want him to focus on his form.”
After starting the season with five pitchers, Manoa’s departure will force Toronto to adjust its rotation.