The right-hander for the Toronto Blue Jays is healing from a shoulder injury.
Alek Manoah has experienced a setback in his shoulder as he attempts to get his career back on track with the Toronto Blue Jays. Per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith:
The Blue Jays have decided to scratch Alek Manoah from tomorrow’s start due to some pain in his right shoulder that he experienced during yesterday’s bullpen session. Jays hopes the necessary downtime is brief and there is no structural damage, per Mr. Schneider John
The fact that there are no long-term concerns is undoubtedly excellent news, but any setback is concerning for a guy who has to have a successful spring in order to maintain his No. 5 position in the rotation.
After a dreadful 2023 season, Manoah entered camp holding a precarious No. 5 spot. However, he struggled terribly in his spring start, hitting three batters and giving up four earned runs in 1.2 innings.
After starting the Blue Jays’ opening playoff game, the 26-year-old finished 3-9 in 2023 with a 5.87 ERA and struck out just 79 batters in 87.1 innings. Additionally, he was sent to the minor leagues more than once.
Concerns were raised regarding his level of fitness and his inability to get used to the new pitch clock. Although he seemed to be in much better form going into this season, the soreness in his arm has persisted.
All things considered, you can see why Toronto didn’t want to move him cheap this summer, or perhaps at all—he’s still young and under team control through 2027. In 2022, he had a 2.24 ERA and a 16-7 record. He was voted third in the American League Cy Young voting and was an All-Star.
Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Kevin Gausman should already be in the Blue Jays’ rotation. Though he’s been plagued by back spasms early in camp, newly signed Yariel Rodriguez is an alternative if Manoah continues to struggle if this issue persists.
Matt Chapman reportedly turned down a big contract offer from the Toronto Blue Jays.
According to reports, the Toronto Blue Jays attempted to retain Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman by extending a large contract offer to him in the previous season. Chapman declined, and last week the San Francisco Giants offered him “just” a three-year, $54 million contract.
Scott Mitchell of TSN in Canada offered additional details about the Jays’ offer:
Although the exact date of this Toronto offer is unknown, Chapman clearly believed he would be better off going it alone on the free market, but that didn’t work out.
Additionally, Chapman previously declined a contract extension while he was a member of the Oakland Athletics, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Chapman ultimately agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with the San Francisco Giants after turning down a $125 million contract from the Toronto Blue Jays the previous season and a 10-year, $150 million contract from the Oakland A’s in 2019.That’s a far cry from the $150 million he was aiming for when free agency first began.
Chapman, 30, has hit 155 home runs in his career and is a.240 hitter. He has played for the Athletics and Blue Jays for seven years, and he is an All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. The Giants added Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler, and Jung-Ho Lee this summer in addition to Chapman.